


Healer with a battlefield experience

by Styx13



Series: Alex Lambraques [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Book 1: The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus), Canon Universe, Child of Apollo (Percy Jackson), Demigods, F/M, Love, Twelve Gods of Olympus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 78,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25350547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Styx13/pseuds/Styx13
Summary: I known as 'The hero with the name of the old city and an incredible power for a regular demigod'. I am a daughter of Apollo - my name is Alexandria Lambraques, and I'm not the one of the seven. Really, I'm just a healier with a battlefield experience. And experience in death, maybe. And-... Hey! Jason! Give it back here! When I said that I'm not loosing cousins again, I didn't meant that I can't kill them! Grace!
Relationships: Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Leo Valdez/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Alex Lambraques [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1840378
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

Even before I turned the light to solid, I was having a rotten day.

I woke up near the back of a school bus, knowing exactly where I am, leaning against a cute, dark haired guy. I looked to the right. The boy sitting next to me wasn't paying attention to me; he was tinkering with a little in his hands — something I noticed he was doing since I woke up; his hands wouldn't stop moving. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration and you could tell he was really working hard on his...what was that? He was fiddling with some pipe cleaners and small metal bits, making something that could have resembled a flower—but even that was being generous. In reality, it kind of looked like more like a shapeless blob.

"I can see you staring, you know, Sunshine," The boy said without raising his head.

"I told you a million times," I rolled my eyes, messing Leo's hair more than it was before I even touched it. "Don't call me that."

The boy smiled, apparently finding this funny; "Geez, Al, calm down, I'm used to you staring, I know that I am devastatingly handsome."

"Whatever you say!" I laughed, raising her arms in defeat.

The girl sitting behind me said something that caused me to turned my head to her direction;   
"Jason, are you okay?" 

Jason? What? What the heck are you doing here and why Piper knows you?

Jason let go of the girls hand and said;   
"Um, I don't—"

In the front of the bus, a teacher shouted; "All right, cupcakes, listen up!" I turned to him, trying to catch his eye. He need to know about the situation here... When he stood up in the isle, a student called;   
"Stand up, Coach Hedge!"

"I heard that!" the coach scanned the bus for the culprit. Then his eyes rested on me and after that on Jason, and his scowl deepened. I nodded my head slowly. Coach Hedge looked away and cleared his throat. "We'll arrive in five minutes! Stay with your partner. Make sure you don't lose your worksheet. And if any of you precious little cupcakes causes any trouble, I will personally send you back to campus the hard way." he swung his baseball bat like he was hitting a homer.

"Is he allowed to talk to us that way?" I heard from behind.

Piper shrugged. "Always has, this is the Wilderness School, where the kids are the animals." She said it like it was a joke they had shared before. And it was. But Jason wasn't there to share it with us...

"This is some kind of mistake..." Jason said.

"You don't belong here," I said, turning around to him. He was handsome, I thought, but not really my type: his blonde hair was close cropped, showing off his chiseled jaw line and his icy blue eyes, which held an expression of confusion. When he looked at me his eyes was filled with hope. He thought that I knew what's happened to him. Sorry, buddy, you seem like a nice guy, but I can't help you.

Leo turned around and laughed;  
"Yeah, right, guy's. We've all been framed! I didn't run away six times, Alex didn't blew up the since room and Piper didn't steal that BMW."

Piper blushed. "I didn't steal that car, Leo."

"Oh, I forgot Piper, what was your story? You talked that dealer into giving it to you?" He rolled his eyes like, can you believe her? "Anyway," Leo said, "I hope you guys have your worksheets because I used mine for spit wads days ago." 

"I'm not giving you my answers," I elbowed him, still looking at Jason with confusion.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" asked Jason.

"I don't know you." I said.

"I don't know you either..." Jason nodded, slowly.

Leo shot him a mischievous grin. "Sure. I'm not your best friend and Alex's crush. I'm his evil twin!"

"Oh, shut it-...!" before Alex could finish her sentence, Coach Hedge yelled from the front:

"Leo Valdez! Problem back there?"

Leo winked.

"Watch this," he turned to the front. "Sorry, coach, I can't hear you, could you use your megaphone please?"

The coach puffed out his chest and grunted, clearly glad to have an excuse. He unclipped the megaphone from his belt, raised it to his lips and continued giving directions, but his voice came out like Darth Vader's. The kids who weren't already listening looked up and started cracking up. The coach tried again and this time, the megaphone blared out;  
"THE COW SAYS MOO" the coach slammed down the megaphone; "VALDEZ!"

Piper stifled a laugh.  
"God, Leo, how'd you do that?"

Leo slipped a Philips screwdriver out of his jacket pocket.  
"I'm a special boy."

"There's moment's when I really like you, torch!" I grinned. "But guys, can we please focus?" I said. "Jason have absolutely no idea what he's doing here, and so do I."

Piper knit her eyebrows. "Guys, are you joking?"

"No!"

"I have no idea—"

"Aw, yeah. They're just joking. I bet Jason still mad about that one time where I gave him a marble instead of a gumball and he cracked his tooth, and Alex just likes to prank me." Leo was answered with blank stares from Jason.

"No, Leo, I think they're actually serious." Piper said. 

Jason wasn't supposed to be here, I knew that. He knew that either. But he didn't knew anything else.

Piper tried to take Jason's hand but he pulled away.

"I'm sorry—I don't...I can't—"

"Alright! That's it!" Coach Hedge shouted from the front, "The back two rows have just volunteered to clean up after lunch." The rest of the kids cheered.

"That's surprising." Leo said sarcastically. But Piper kept staring at Jason like she was trying to decide whether to be worried or hurt.

"Did you hit your head or something? Alex, you dont remember him? And Jason, you really can't remember us?"

Jason looked up.  
"It's worse than that." I knew what he was going to say before it left his lips. "I don't know who I am."

I stepped off the bus, happy to get some fresh air. I felt a cold gust of wind blow over the desert. I zipped my army jacket over my orange t-shirt, and shivered. I hadn't really paid much attention to what I was wearing, (which was that army jacket, an orange t-shirt with the name of CHB on it, sneakers and ripped jeans). I was just thankful it was warm; Jason looked like he was freezing. I heard the loud sound of the school bus pulling away. Leo put his arms around Jason's shoulders, best buddy style.

"So..." He was saying, in a helpful tone. "A crash course for the amnesic. We go to the 'Wilderness School'" Leo made air quotes with his fingers, "Which means we're 'bad kids.' Your parents, or the court, or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison—sorry, I mean 'boarding school'—in Armpit, Nevada, where you get to learn valuable nature skills like running for ten miles a day through the cacti and weaving daisies into has! And for a special treat, we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Is it all coming back to you now?"

"No." Jason said. I noticed him looking at the rest of the group.

Leo rolled his eyes.   
"You're really gonna keep this going, huh? Okay, so the four of us are totally tight. You do everything I say and give me your dessert..."

"Valdez!" I smacked him in the back of the head.

"Fine, ignore that last part. In all seriousness though, we actually are friends." Leo looked at me, like saying 'you actually know him, right?' and then back at Jason. "Well, Piper's a little more than your friend, the last few weeks—"

"Leo, stop it!" Now Piper and Jason were blushing. 

"Jason's got amnesia or something, and Alex..." Piper said. "We've got to tell someone."

"But who?" Leo scoffed. "Coach Hedge? He'd try to fix them by whacking them upside the head with his bat."

The coach was at the front to the group, blowing his whistle and yelling orders like, "keep in line" and, "move it, cupcake, we ain't got all day!" but every once in awhile, he'd glance back at Jason with a scowl. The coach knew something was wrong, and I was sure that I'm not the only one here.

"Leo, I think Jason really need help," I crossed my arms. "Considering the fact that I really have no idea who is he, through I remember all of you..."

Piper nodded.  
"You two got—"

"Yo, girl's." One of the other guys dropped back to join us as the group was heading into the museum. The new guy wedged himself between me and Piper, knocking Leo to the ground. "Don't talk to these bottom feeders. You're my partner's, remember?"

The new guy had dark hair cut Superman style, a deep tan, and teeth so white, they should've come with a warning label: DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY AT TEETH. MAY CAUSE PERMANENT BLINDNESS. He wore a Dallas Cowboys jersey, western jeans and boots, and he smiled like he was God's gift to juvenile delinquent girls everywhere. And I hated him.  
Piper turned towards him and sighed;

"Dylan, I never asked to be your partner."

"Well then," Dylan beamed, "It's your lucky day, isn't it?" Dylan hooked his arm through hers, and tried to do this with me, but I didn't let him.

"Since when am I your partner too, Barbie?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Well, Gwen is sick, so you don't have a partner, and I thought that..."

"Bold of you to assume that I will go with you." I turned around, fitting one hand in my pocket, and giving the other one to Leo, helping him to stand up, while Dylab dragged Piper through the museum entrance. 

"I hate that guy," Leo said, looping his arm in mine, like he was going to go skipping off. "He's like: I'm Dylan. I'm so cool, I want to date myself, but I can't figure out how. Oh, do you want to date me? You're so lucky."

I laughed, while Jason was still 100% made of confusion.

"Leo," Jason said, "you're weird."

"Yeah, you tell me that a lot." Leo grinned. "But if you don't remember me, that means I can reuse all my old jokes. Come on!"

I smiled and found myself happy that I remember him. When I stepped in the doors, I was greeted with the welcome feeling of warm air on my skin. I looked around and saw that there were a little more than a dozen exhibits placed around the room. Most if not all of them were either about either the Grand Canyon or the Hualapai tribe, which owned the place. She saw that the group was huddled around an exhibit, with Coach Hedge lecturing them about rocks or something through his megaphone, which alternately made him sound like a Sith Lord or blared out random comments like; "The cat says meow."

I looked to the right side and noticed that Leo wasn't paying attention to the lecture either. He was slumped over on a stone bench, messing with that thing he was playing with on the bus. Now, it was obvious what it was: a little toy wind up soldier. He kept repeatedly taking it apart and assembling it—like he had to keep his hands busy at all times. On the left side, Jason was just standing there, staring off into space. He was clearly deep in thought.

Some girls kept looking over at Piper and Dylan together and snickering. They all wore matching pink tops, fake jewel embezzled jeans, and enough makeup to give a clown a nightmare. A part of the popular clique. The delinquent Mean Girls that can kill you in your sleep. Every school is the same old story.

One of them said;  
"Hey, Piper, does your tribe run this place? Do you get in free if you do a rain dance?"

The other girls laughed. Even Piper's so-called partner, Dylan, suppressed a smile.

"My dad's Cherokee," she said. "Not Hualapai. Of course, you'd need a few brain cells to know the difference, Isabel."

That's right girl. That's what you do to them. Kill them with sarcasm and truth!

Isabel widened her eyes in mock surprise;  
"Oh, sorry! Was mom in this tribe? Oh, that's right. You never knew your mom."

Piper charged her, but before a fight could start, Coach Hedge barked; "Enough back there! Set a good example cupcakes!"

The coach led them to another exhibit, but the girls kept shooting mean comments at Piper.  
"Good to be back on the rez?" One asked in a sweet voice.

"Dad's probably too drunk to work." Another said in mock sympathy.

I was starting to get mad, like any other time when they were bothering Piper. Really, what's their problem? They don't have enough homework to do or something? Jason was about ready to go over there and stick up for Piper and judging by the look on his face, but Leo held him back;   
"Chill man, Piper doesn't like us fighting her own battles."

"But—" Jason protested.

"I know." I nodded, "But she can take care of herself."

"Besides," Leo laughed. "If they knew who her dad was, they'd be bowing down and kissing her feet."

"Why? Who's her dad?"

Leo let out a low whistle and ran a hand through his hair;   
"You aren't joking? You really don't remember Piper's dad?"

"Look, I don't remember who she is, much less her dad."

Leo laughed in disbelief;  
"Whatever. We've got to talk when we get back to the dorms." we reached the far end of the exhibit hall, where big glass double doors led out to a terrace.

"Alright, cupcakes, you are about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it. This skywalk can hold up to 70 jumbo jets so you featherweights should be safe out there. Also, if possible, try not to push each other over the edge, as that would give me extra paperwork."   
The coach opened the doors, and they all stepped outside. 

Ok, here we go. The Grand Canyon. A huge horseshoe shaped walkway. Made of glass. We are so high, birds circled below our feet. Five hundred feet down - a river. Very, very painful death. This place was the worst one to me to spend time at. The crossover with fear of heights and small places - the saga. 

Banks of storm clouds had moved overhead while we've been inside, casting shadows like angry faces across the cliffs. As far as I could see in any direction, red and gray ravines cut through the desert like some crazy god had taken a knife to it. Huh, ironically, to be honest. I can bet that this was Ares. But shush, don't tell him that I said that. I leaned over and clutched my stomach. I was shivering, sweaty, and felt like I'm gonna pass out every second.

"You all right?" Leo asked, rubbing my back. "You're not going to throw up over the side, are you? 'Cause I should have brought my camera."

"Shut it, Valdez, I'm dying here..." I moaned, trying not to look at my feet and what was under it... We heard the loud boom of thunder rumbling overhead. A cold wind almost blew me sideways.

"This can't be safe." Leo squinted at the clouds. "Storm's right over us, but it's clear all the way around. Weird right?" I looked up and saw that Leo was right. A dark circle of clouds hung over the skywalk, but the area around it was perfectly clear and blue. That's strange. And I hope that no god is responsible for that. Ahem. Ahem.

"Okay, cupcakes!" Coach Hedge yelled. The storm was apparently bothering him too, seeing as he was glaring at it like it personally insulted him. "We may have to cut this short, so get to work! Remember, complete sentences!"

"Alright, I need to get distracted..." I said, pulling out a worksheet. 

"Oh, crap. I don't have a pen." Leo groaned. "Jason?"

Jason checked his pockets and pulled out a gold coin. "Well, it's not a pen..." he trailed off.

Leo sighed and turned to me. "How 'bout you, Al?" I gave him my pen, trying to read what was on the paper in front of my eyes. Dam you, Dyslexia! Why can school's just translate my textbook's to greek? Is it that hard?

"No..." Leo sighed again. "It doesn't have any ink..."

"It's fine," I said, patting his arm, "We can just get one from the gift shop." 

We didn't try very hard on the worksheet. For one thing, I was too distracted by the storm, my fear of heights, small places, and the dyslexia that wasn't making this whole situation easier. The winds were whipping across the desert, causing my short blond hair to keep blowing in my face, making it hard to see the paper. Leo was no help either, ever since we got back, all he could do was crack jokes about my fears - cousing me to smack the back of his head couple of times - and play with his pipe cleaners and springs and such. Right now, he was building a little helicopter;   
"Check it out."

He launched the copter. After all the things that he did in the past couple of months, I wasn't surprised to see the little pipe cleaner blades actually spinning, since she thought it would just plummet. I looked at Jason's face and saw his expression turn from surprised to impressed in a matter of seconds.

"How'd you do that?" Jason asked.

Leo shrugged. "It would have been cooler if I had rubber bands." 

"You could just ask," I said, pulling couple of rubber bands from my pocket. "I'm using them instead of regular hair bands, because these don't slip."

"I never really saw you with a ponytail..." Leo grinned.

"I prefer loose." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Seriously," Jason said, "Are we friends?"

"Have no idea who are you." I said, crossig my arms on my chest.

"Last I checked, we we're friends." Said Leo.

"You sure?" Jason pressed on, "What was the first day we met? What did we talk about?"

"It was..." Leo frowned. "I don't recall exactly. You can't expect me to remember details, I'm ADHD."

And that's why I always had to explain everything to you multiple times.

"But I don't remember you at all." I said.

"And I don't remember anyone here. What if—"

"You guys are right and everyone else is wrong?" Leo asked. "You think you just appeared here this morning and we all got fake memories of you, but Alex somehow didn't?"

A little voice in my head said, that's exactly what I think. But if I said that out loud, I had the feeling Leo would think I'm crazy. Everyone here seemed to take Jason for granted. Everyone acted like he was just a normal part of the class—except for Coach Hedge. And that gave me the hope that I'm not crazy.

"Here, Leo, take the worksheet." Jason handed him the paper and was off before Leo could protest.

"What-..."

"Maybe the Coach will explain to us what the heck is happening here..." I said.

"You really don't remember him?" Asked Leo, looking me dead in the eye's.

"I can swear on River Styx that I don't." I said, looking at the sky. Everything is better then looking at the river.

"What is that even mean? Another fandom reference?"

"Uh... Sort of?"

Lightning crackled overhead. The winds picked up with a vengeance. Worksheets flew into the Grand Canyon, and the entire bridge shuddered. Kid's screamed, stumbling and grabbing the rails.  
Coach Hedge bellowed into his megaphone: "Everyone inside! The pig says oink! Off the skywalk!"

The storm was now like a miniature hurricane. Strong winds were blowing everywhere, making it hard to hear. Funnel clouds were forming like the tentacles of a giant squid, reaching down for us. Leo lost his balance and almost fell over the railing, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"Thank's Al!" Leo yelled.

"You owe me!" I yelled back, still not letting go of his arm.

"Go, go, go!" screamed Coach Hedge.

I saw Piper and Dylan were struggling to hold the doors open, beckoning for the other kids to come inside. Leo, Jason, Coach Hedge and I tried to run towards them, but it was like running through maple syrup. Dylan and Piper were pushing the last few kids in the museum when they lost their grip on the doors, and they slammed shut with a loud bang, making it impossible for them to go inside. Piper frantically pulled at the handles. The people in the museum tried to push the doors open from the inside, but they seemed to be glued shut.

"Dylan, help me!" Piper shouted.

"Sorry, Piper." He said. "I'm done helping."

"What are you ta—"

But before she could finish, Dylan flicked his wrist and Piper flew back, slamming into the wall and sliding to the skywalk deck.

"Piper!" Jason tried to run to help her, but the coach held them back.

"Coach! Let me-...!"

"Stay behind me, kiddos." He said while glaring at Dylan. "This is my fight, I should have known that he was the monster."

"What are you talking about?" Leo demanded. "What monster?"

"Remember my fandom references?" I asked him loudly. "It was references to the Greek Mythology!"

"And?!" Leo didn't got the message.

"The myths are real, as you see!" I screamed, looking at Dylan.

Dylan gave Hedge that same psychotic happy smile. "Oh, come on coach, let the boy attack me! You are getting too old for this after all. Isn't that why they retired you to this stupid school? I've been on your team the entire season, and you didn't even know. You're losing your nose, grandpa."

Hedge made and angry sound, like a goat bleating, and lifted his club. "That's it, cupcake, you're going down."

Dylan let out a short loud laugh. "You think you can protect four half-bloods at once, old man?" he asked, "Good luck."

Dylan pointed a long finger at Leo, and a funnel cloud wrapped around him. Leo screamed and flew off the skywalk like he'd been thrown. Somehow, he managed to twist his body in midair and he slammed against the canyon wall. He skidded down, trying furiously to get a handhold. He finally grabbed a thin ledge, but I doubted he could hang there by his fingertips for long.

"Leo!" I yelled. "W-wait a second!"

"I'm not going anywhere!" he yelled back. Really, boy? Even now? When you can fall and die? You're cracking jokes? I raised my hands, and the small ledges under Leo's legs started sparkling. After couple of seconds they were glowing brightly, and was wide enough for Leo to stand on them. And that's what he did, looking at me with amusement.

Coach Hedge shoved his club in Jason's hands while muttering something to him.   
"You're a faun." Jason noted. Weird. I wondered why he used the Roman term.

"Not a faun—"

"A satyr." I cut him off, running towards the edge to see that he was actually bouncing down the canyon wall with impossible agility, finding footholds no bigger than postage stamps.

"Isn't that cute!" Dylan turned toward Jason and me, while were standing right next to each other. Jason threw the club - it flew straight at Dylan, even curving when he tried to dodge it. I quietly cheered when it smacked him on the head so hard he fell to his knees.

Piper wasn't as dazed as she appeared to be. Her fingers closed around the club when it rolled next to her, but before she could use it, Dylan rose. Golden blood trickled from her forehead.

"Nice try, boy." He glared at Jason. "But you'll have to do better."

The skywalk creaked and groaned. Hairline fractures appeared in the glass. Inside the museum, kids stopped banging on the doors and backed away, watching in horror. Then, Dylan started to change. His face stayed the same: he still had the same dazzling white smile, but his whole body had dissolved and now he was suddenly composed of swirling black vapor. His eyes were like electrical sparks in a living storm cloud. He sprouted black wings and hovered above the skywalk. 

"You're a ventus," Jason said.

I frowned, why did he keep using Roman terms? Dylan laughed, reminding me of a tornado tearing off a roof. 

"I'm glad I waited, demigod. Leo, Alex and Piper I've known about for weeks. Could've killed them anytime. But my mistress said a fourth were coming—she told me you were special. She will reward me greatly for your death."

A couple more funnel clouds landed on either side of Dylan and turned into venti—evil-angel guys with smoky wings and eyes that flickered with lightning. Piper was still hunched against the wall, pretending to be dazed, her hand still gripping the coach's club.

"Ok, you are annoying me..." I said, and pulled out a hair clip from my hair, like I had done it a thousand times before. A bow appeared in my hand, and behind me a quiver of arrows. I, not taking my eyes off Dylan, pulled a bowstring and fired an arrow. It stuck through one of the storm spirit's middle. It dissolved into gold powder. Dylan looked stunned. He looked down as if he expected his comrades to reform. When they didn't, he wailed in outrage.

"Impossible," he hissed, "Who are you Half-Blood?"

"My name is Alexandria Lambraques," I said, grinning. "I think you know who I am."

Dylan raised his hand, arcs of electricity running between his fingers. I thought he was about to hit me with this, but he blasted Jason in the chest. It all went downhill from there. Piper screamed as Jason flew backwards, sure he was dead. His cloths were smoking, and his toes were black with soot. Then he lifted his head and I let out a breath of relief but her clarity was short-lived. She saw coach Hedge's head poking out from over the railing with Leo. After he left Valdez at the most safe place, Coach charged into battle. But when Dylan saw him, he snapped his fingers and Hedge froze. 

Jason looked at me and nodded. We moved our arms. The tip of Jason's swords stuck through one of the storm spirit's middle, just like my arrow. It dissolved into gold powder, just like the other one. Piper was so stunned, she dropped her club:  
"Jason, Alex, how...?"

Then Coach Hedge shook his head, coming unfrozen. "Spirits fear me!" He yelled, and then looked around and realized there was only Dylan. "Curse it!" He snapped, "Didn't you leave some for me? I like a challenge."

Just then, Leo groaned. He looked dazed. I ran over to him and flung his arms around my neck, helping him to stand up;   
"Gods, I thought you were dead." I said, laughing.

Leo hesitated for a moment before successfully standing by himself and saying, "Yeah..."

I felt bad for him. He looked completely humiliated. His hands were scraped and bleeding from clawing at the rocks. Even though he had a large gash on his head where the coach dropped him, he still looked handsome... Uh, forget it. I didn't said anything. He glanced at me and gave me a look like, we need to talk. Yeah, after I made the light of the Canyon solid so he won't fall and die, we really need to talk. He looked back at the others.

"Look, Coach Supergoat, whatever you are, I just fell down the freaking Grand Canyon and got saved after standing on light that was created by S—" He caught himself "Alex. Stop asking for challenges!"

Dylan hissed at them, but I saw fear in his eyes. "You have no idea how many enemies you've awakened, half-bloods. My mistress will destroy all demigods. This war you cannot win." Above us, the storm exploded into a full-force gale. Cracks expanded in the skywalk. Sheets of rain poured down, and Leo had to crouch to keep his balance. A hole opened in the clouds—a swirling vortex of black and silver. I pulled a bowstring and fired a scattering clouds arrow in the heart of the cloud. A little light was seen, but the storm continued. Shit.

"The mistress calls me back!" Dylan shouted with glee. "And you, demigod, will come with me!" He lunged at me before I could move, but Piper tackled the monster from behind. Even though he was made of smoke, Piper somehow managed to connect. Both of them went sprawling. Leo, Jason, Coach and I moved forward to help, but the venti screamed with rage. He let loose a gust of wind that knocked us all back. Jason, Coach Hedge and I landed on our arses. My bow skidded across the glass, going over the edge of the skywalk. Leo hit the back of his head hard on the wall and lay on his side, dazed and groaning.

Piper got the worst of it. She was thrown off Dylan's back and hit the railing, tumbling over the side until she was hanging by one hand over the abyss. Jason started toward her, but Dylan yelled,  
"I'll settle for this one!"

He grabbed Leo's arm and began to rise, towing a half-conscious Leo below him. The winds spun faster, pulling them upward like a vacuum cleaner.

"Help!" Piper yelled. "Somebody!" Then she slipped, screaming as she fell.

"Jason, go!" Hedge yelled, "Save her!"

The coach ran at the spirit. Hedge went forward with some serious goat-fu—lashing out with his hooves, while I ran to my bow and fired an arrow, aiming at Dylan's 'head',but the spirit was faster. He moved and the arrow flew to the Canyon. Hedghe knocked Leo free from the spirit's grasp. He dropped safely to the floor, but Dylan grappled the coach's arms instead. Hedge tried to head-butt him, then kicked him and called him a cupcake. They rose into the air, gaining speed.

"Hey, you, asshole!" I yelled at Dylan, firing three arrows at one. But before the arrows got to them, the satyr and the storm spirit spiraled into the clouds and disappeared.

No, no, no... I looked around. Jason wasn't there. I passed by Leo and rushed over to look over the edge, fearing the worst. But no. What I saw was far more strange. Jason had caught up with Piper, he was hugging tightly so she wouldn't fall. That wasn't the strange part though. The strange part was that they were hovering in midair. I relaxed once I realized Jason and Piper weren't going to fall to their deaths and headed to check on Leo.

He was still unconscious, but when slumped over next to him, he stirred and groaned slightly. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead, wet from the rain. His hands were still bleeding, and now he had two deep gashes on his head. One on the back, one on his forehead. I took his hand, and closed my eyes, praying for father's blessing to heal him. After a minute Leo's hands were cleaned from all the injures.

"Hi," he croaked, sitting up.

"Hey, Torch." I said, smirking.

He laughed, then his expression turned serious. "Thank you." he said. "For saving me, I mean."

"Don't mention it." I told him, smiling. " I do this a lot, actually. Your not the first, and not the last."

"But still. Really, Sunshine, thank you. So much."

Now I didn't even minded the nickname;  
"Hey, like I said, no problem, that's what friends are for, right?"

"Save each others asses from falling to the Grade Canyon?" Leo laughed.

"Exactly!" I said, putting my hand on his.

"So your saying that now it's my turn?" 

"Ow, I hope no." I looked him in the eye's. "I am terrified with heights, and you know that. Oh, and," I pushed myself up, offering a hand to Leo. "Are we still friends?" I asked. "Even though I didn't told you anything about myself?"

He clutched my hand, his grip was surprisingly strong. "We are still friends." He agreed.

As we were walking to the building, Jason and Piper landed on the skywalk. They hurried over to us.

"Alex? Are you okay?" Piper asked.

"Yeah," I shrugged. "Just a regular day. Spirits, a friend falling from the Grand Canyon."

"Leo?"

"Stupid...ugly...goat." He muttered.

"Where did he go?" Piper asked.

I to looked to the sky and pointed straight up. "Never came down."

"Ok now Alex, Jason, where did you get those weapons, and how... How?"

I looked at the bow in my hand. I clicked on a button near my finger and the bow and arrow turned back to the hair clip, that I put back on my head, to secure my bang from falling on my eyes.

"Woah, cool. I wonder how that's works. Maybe it is enchanted or something—I wouldn't be surprised, after what happened today. Or maybe..." Leo muttered to himself.

"Jason, those things—" Piper said shakily, ignoring Leo completely.

"Venti," he said. "Storm spirits."

"Okay. You—both of you—" She gestured to me, while I was just standing there, silently, looking at the sky. I had to protect Hedge. I had... "You acted like...like you'd seen them before. Who are you two?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," He said. "I don't know."

"Dylan... He called us...what, demigods?"

Leo sighed. "Don't know what demi means," he said. "But I'm not feeling too godly. Are you guys feeling godly?"

"Demi means 'half'," i said. "And believe me, no demigod ever felt godly..."

There was a little brittle sound like dead leaves crunching under shoes, and the cracks in the skywalk began to widen.  
"We need to get off this thing," Jason said. "Maybe if we—"

I felt Leo tense up. "Ohhh-kay," Leo interrupted. "Look up there and tell me those aren't flying horses."

Flying horses? I jumped and turned around, looking at the direction, seeing a familiar chariot and two pegasus.

"Oh yes!" I started sqeeking, completely forgetting about my fear of heights.

"Reinforcements." Jason said. "Hedge told me an extraction squad was coming for us."

"Extraction squad?" Leo asked. "That sounds painful."

"And where are they extracting us to?" Piper asked.

I watched as the white chariot landed on the far end of the skywalk. The flying horses gracefully tucked in their wings and cantered nervously across the deck, as if they sensed it was about to break. Two teenagers stood in the chariot with shields strapped across their backs. I ran to them, and the blond's face lit up when she saw me. She ran towards me and we engulfed each other in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh, Ria, I'm so glad you're okay! I had this dream... I didnt saw you since the summer! Through Irida messages I didn't realized you grew up so much! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" The girl's words blended together as I just stood there, smiling.

"I'm fine Beth, I'm not hurt." I said, holding my tears. I didn't saw any of my friends from the Titans War, and was really happy to see them again. I only talked to them through the Irida messages, like Annabeth said.

Annabeth smiled again, and then cleared her face of any emotion. "Where is he?" She demanded, looking at Jason.

"Where's who?" Jason asked.

Annabeth frowned, like that answer was unacceptable. Then she turned to me. "What about Gleeson?"

I shook my head. Leo cleared his throat. "He got taken by some...tornado."

"Venti," Jason said. "Storm spirits."

Annabeth arched an eyebrow. "You mean anemoi thuellai? That's the Greek term. Who are you, and what happened?"

Jason launched in an explanation, and I added. About halfway through, Butch came to us.

"No, no, no!" Annabeth was saying, "She told me he would be here. She told me if I came here, I'd find the answer."

"Annabeth," Butch grunted. "Check it out." He pointed at Jason's feet. "The guy with one shoe. He's the answer."

"No, Butch," Annabeth insisted. "He can't be. I was tricked." She glared at the sky as though it had done something wrong. "What do you want from me?" She screamed, "What have you done with him?"

The skywalk shuddered and the horses whinnied urgently.

"Annabeth," said Butch, "We gotta go. Let's get these four back to camp and figure it out there. Those storm spirits might come back."

She fumed for a moment. "Fine." She spat. "We'll settle this later. C'mon, Ria, Butch." She turned on her heel and marched toward the chariot.

Piper shook her head. "What's her problem? What's going on?"

"Seriously," Leo agreed.

"We have to get out of here," I said while glancing nervously at the breaking glass. "We'll explain on the way."

"I'm not going anywhere with her," Jason said. "She looks like she wants to kill me."

Butch hesitated. "Annabeth's okay. You gotta cut her some slack. She had a vision telling her to come here, to find a guy with one shoe. That was supposed to be the answer to her problem."

"What problem?" Piper asked.

"Annabeth's boyfriend, Percy Jackson, went missing three days ago. She's been out of her mind with worry. She hoped he'd be here."

"You didn't find anything?" I asked, sadly.

"No..."


	2. Chapter 2

I froze when I got on the chariot. Like I said, I am terrified of heights. And small places. I felt my whole body tense up. The blood pounded in my ears. The heart thudded in my chest. My whole body shook uncontrollably. I folded against the wall, trying to get as far as possible from that damned opening in the back. My vision blurred, as if I was looking at the world through a dirty wine glass.

"Annabeth, I hate you sometimes!" I screeched. 

"I'm sorry, Alex." Annabeth said, "Maybe you will get distracted by that?" she pointed behind us.

I looked up. There was about a half dozen storm spirits zooming around in the clouds. And it was just my luck they were in their horse form, which meant they were even more chaotic than the humanoid figures, like Dylan.  
Great, I thought, not only am I currently being forced to face my worse fears, but some lovely storm spirits have decided to show up to wish me good luck.

"For dad's sunglasses sake..." I shook my head, getting a strange look from Leo and Piper. But before I could say something, the chariot dropped out of the sky. Annabeth and Butch were trying desperately to stabilize the chariot but it just wasn't working. It was too hard on the pegasi to pull the weight of six people plus the chariot even without a broken wheel.

"The lake!" Annabeth screamed over the roaring wind. "Aim for the lake!"

And then—BOOM.

And then I told thanks to every god that came to mind; especially to Posidon, Apollo and Hades. I rolled over and shakily got on my feet. Kids fell in the lake often, and because of this detail of campers were holding things like oversized bronze leaf blowers and blankets. They rushed up to me and blasted me with hot air, which warmed me up for a few seconds. They lowered the leaf blower things and frowned, handing her a blanket before running off to help Piper, who had just rolled onto the shore, shivering and choking on water. I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and looked around.

"Annabeth!" I heard a familiar voice. "I said you could borrow the chariot, not destroy it!"

"I'm sorry, Will." Annabeth sighed, "I'll get it fixed, I promise." 

Will scowled at our broken chariot like it had insulted him. Then he sized up Leo, Piper and Jason. His gaze rested on my grinning face for a moment before he rushed to me, squeezing me tightly;  
"Ria, thank gods you're all right!"

"Yeah, I talked with you this week, why are you so surprised?" I chuckled, hugging him back.

"Because I know that your act skills is pretty good, and you could say that you alright even if you'll get stabbed!" Solace smacked the back of my head.

"Ow, ow, okay!" I laughed. "It was just one's!"

Will rolled his eyes, and looked at Piper, Leo and Jason;  
"These are the ones? Way older than thirteen. Why haven't they been claimed yet?"

"Claimed?" Leo asked.

Before Annabeth could explain, Will said, "Any sign of Percy?"

"No." Annabeth admitted.

Then, another girl stepped up. She was tall and Asian. And caused me to roll my eyes. She glanced at Leo, shot an evil glare at me, fixed her eyes on Jason like he might be worth her attention and curled her lip at Piper like she was a week old burrito that had just been pulled out of a dumpster. 

"Well," said the girl, "I hope they're worth the trouble."

Leo snorted. "What are we? Your new pets?"

"No kidding." Jason said. "How about some answers before you start judging us? Like, what is this place? Why are we here? How long to we have to stay?"

"Jason," Annabeth said, "I promise we'll answer all your questions. And Drew, all demigods are worth helping. But I'll admit, the trip didn't accomplish what I'd hoped."

"Hey," Piper said, "We didn't ask to be brought here."

"And nobody wants you, sweetie." Drew sneered. "Does your hair always look like a dead hedgehog?"

"Really Drew?" I raised my eyebrows. "You're using this insult like a year already. Try to be more creative."

"Girls, stop." Said Annabeth. "We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome. We'll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of the camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they'll be claimed."

"Would somebody like to tell me what claimed means?" Piper asked.

Suddenly there was a collective gasp. All the campers backed away, their faces were bathed in a strange red light. I spun around, trying to see what all the camper's were gaping at. Floating over Leo's head was a blazing holographic image - a fiery hammer, the symbol of Hephaestus. Well that explained why Leo always liked to tinker with things.

"That," I said, smiling. "Would be claiming."

"What'd I do?" Leo said, backing up. Then he glanced up and yelped. "Is my hair on fire?" He ducked behind me, putting his hands on my shoulders like he was hiding from the symbol, but it just followed him, bobbing up and down so it looked like he was writing with fire with his head.

"Hey, you're a big boy," I say, taking his hands off from my shoulders. "You can handle a burning hologram above your head."

"This can't be good," Butch muttered, "the curse—"

"Butch, shut up." Annabeth interrupted. "Leo, you've just been claimed—"

"By a god." Jason cut in. "That's the symbol of Vulcan, isn't it?"

All eyes turned to him.

"Jason," Annabeth said, hesitantly, "How do you know that?"

Jason got this vacant look in his eyes, like he was trying to remember. "I'm not really sure."

"Vulcan?" Leo demanded. "I don't even LIKE Star Trek. What are you talking about?"

"Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus," Annabeth explained, "The god of fire and blacksmiths."

"Why is his symbol chasing me?" The symbol had faded but Leo kept glancing up apprehensively, like he expected it to reappear and attack him or something.

Annabeth turned to Will. "Would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk-mates in Cabin Nine?"

"Sure," said Will, and turned to me before going away, messing my hair. "Welcome back, Ria."

"Can we pretend that I never wasn't here?" I said, jokingly, to all the people that was greeting me.

"You wish," said the Stoles in unison, hugging me buddy-style. 

"We will introduce you to all the new one's here," said Connor.

"And annoy the old one's," Finished Travis.

***

I sat next to the campfire with my guitar, smiling at the flames. Sometimes Hestia came to sit here with us. People didn't really payed attention to her, but I enjoyed her company, and she seemed very happy too. But now she wasn't here, so I just sat there, staring at the flames, not thinking about anything.

"Hey," I heard a voice behind me. I turned around and saw Leo. He squatted beside me, smiling.

"Hey, Torch." I smiled back to him. "What do you have to say about the camp?"

"Well, I can say that I already like this place." he nodded slowly. "But I didn't exactly got the whole thing... Are we related? Like... A family?"

"Oh, that's easy." I smiled, "You're related only to the children of your godly parent. It means that Nyssa is your sister, you have a 50% same DNA, but I am a complete stranger." 

"Uh-huh," Leo nodded, "Now I think I got it. Thanks."

"You're welcome!" I shrugged, smiling.

"Oh, by the way, who's your godly parent?" Leo asked.

"Oh, it's Apollo." 

"Oh, right, you are Will's sister, how could I forget," he joked, dramatically rolling his eyes. I laughed, messing his hair.

"Wanna bet that you don't know my dad's favourite band?" I asked, smirking misteriously.

"Oh, well..." Leo was silent for a moment. " AC/DC?"

"Nope," I smiled. "Rollig Stones."

"Really?!" Leo smiled again. "That was my mother's favourite band... Wait. They are still one of the best bands because they're Apollo's favourites?!"

"Yep. Exactly." I laughed at the surprised expression on Leo's face.

"Hey, Leo!" Nyssa called to him.

"Oh, shoot, gotta go." He said, standing up.

"Ria!" called Austin.

"Me too!" I smiled, and did a couple of steps forward, to my other siblings. A group of Apollo kids were standing in front of the fire. We we're singing some demigod campfire song. Yup, I was one of them. I sat next to the fire, with a guitar in my hands. Everyone around, save Leo, who had no idea what the words to the song were - but still was humming to the music - and Nyssa, who looked even more serious than usual, was singing along with the us. When we finished the song, Chiron stood up in front of the fire, holding a spear topped with a roasted marshmallow and waiting for everyone to stop talking. 

"Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals, and Alex. Congratulations on getting here alive and with most of your limbs attached." Chiron smiled at me, and I waved my hand, saying hi to those who I didn't met yet. "I am Chiron, camp activities director. I promise we'll get to s'mores in a moment, but right now--"

"What about capture the flag?" Yelled a kid of Ares.

"Yes," Chiron said "I know the Ares campers are anxious to return to the woods for our regular games--"

"And kill people!" Somebody interjected.

"However, until the dragon issue is under control, that will be impossible. Do you have anything to report on that, Cabin Nine?"

Nyssa took a dead breath and stood up shakily. "We're working on it."

More grumbling.  
"How, Nyssa?" One kid demanded.

"Really hard." Nyssa sat down and put her head in her hands. A lot of kids were yelling and complaining, but Chiron put a stop to that by stomping his hoof of the stone bricks surrounding the fire.

"We will have to be patient." Chiron said. "In the meantime, we have more serious matters to discuss."

"Percy?" Somebody asked. 

My smile disappeared. Everyone were expecting Percy to return with Annabeth today, but they got me instead. No one was really complaining about that, but I would be happier if Percy really was with us tonight...

Annabeth, who took a deep breath and stood up shakily.  
"I didn't find Percy. He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like we'd hoped. Most of you have noticed, however, that Alex has returned. We know we wished Percy was back too, but we're not giving up. We've got teams everywhere - Tyson, Grover, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis - everyone's out looking. We'll find him, For now, Chiron's talking about a new quest-"

"It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" Asked a voice.

Everyone turned. The girl who'd called out was sitting in the back, sitting under a banner that was pink with a dove emblem - Aphrodite. Before the girl had spoken up, they were just gossiping amongst themselves, but now all eyes were set on their leader who'd addressed the crowd: Drew.  
"I mean, it has to be, right?"

This girl has a couple of brain cells? Wow.

"Drew?" Annabeth asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? Olympus is closed. Percy's missing. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods and an old, familiar loser." She smirked at me when she said that last bit. "I mean, something weird's going on." Drew turned to Rachel. "The Great Prophecy has started, hasn't it?" After a moment of silence, Drew called down. "Well? You're the oracle. Has it started or not."

Everyone stared at Rachel, waiting for an answer. Finally, she took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Yes. The Great Prophecy has begun."

There was a collection of gasps and shouts.   
"Oh for dad's sake..." I groaned. Another Great prophecy. Great.

Rachel waited patiently for the demigods to stop talking, and when everyone did, she took a step forward, causing the whole group to lean away from her like they were afraid of her. "For those of you who have not heard it, the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It arrived in August. It goes like this: Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,  
To storm or fire the world must fall-"

Just then, Jason bolted up suddenly, his face held a mixture of excitement and fear. Jason had remembered something, or at least part of something.

"Jason?" Rachel asked, alarmed. "Wha-what's--"

"Spiritu postrema sacramentum dejurmus," he chanted. "Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem."

A heavy silence filled the amphitheater. I was pretty sure he was speaking some sort of Italian, or Spanish...

"You just said the final lines of the prophecy." Rachel said with a pale face. "An oath to keep with final breath,  
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. How..."

Jason put a hand to his temples like his head hurt. "I've heard those lines." He said. "I don't know how, but I know that prophecy."

"And in Latin, no less. Handsome and smart." Called Drew, in an attempt to ease the tension.

There was some Iglesias from the Aphrodite cabin, but overall, it didn't work too well. The ominous mood stuck like that annoying relative you're trying to get rid of at the end of a family meeting. Rachel was still pale and she seemed a little unsure of what to do next. She looked back at Chiron for some guidance, but he just stood there, still as a statue, studying the group like a particularly confusing battle plan. Rachel brushed off a bit of fuzz from the collar of her shirt.

"Well...that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for another couple years, but it looks like it's starting now. I can't give you proof, it's just a feeling. And like Drew said, something weird's going on. The seven demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling that some of them are here tonight, but some are not."

"I'm here!" Someone yelled groggily. "W-wait. Were you calling roll?"

I stood up and cupped my hands around my mouth; "Go back to sleep, Clovis!" I called, earning some laughter from the other campers.

"Anyway," Rachel continued, "We don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can assume the second Great Prophecy will predict something just as bad."

Chiron muttered something that I didn't hear, but it didn't seem to improve the overall mood of the group.

"What we do know, is that the first phase had begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken."

Shocked silence. Then 50 demigods started talking at once;  
"Wh-hat?!"

"What do you mean, 'Taken'?" I asked. "Zeus took her on a date and lost her somewhere?"

Chiron stomped his hoof again, but Rachel still had to wait to get their attention. As Rachel explained what happened at the Grand Canyon and the hours after, all I could think is that there can be another war. War... Dead friend's... Unstopable sadness... War... Pain... War... 

"Are you okay?" Someone asked.

"H-huh?" I looked up from the flames, and realized that Leo got up from his seat and came to check on me. I was glad that I didn't cried or anything. I don't cry in front of anyone. Not since the war. "Oh, yeah. I'm good. Just lost in thoughts, you know." I smiled, patting Leo's shoulder.

He looked at me again. "You don't look fine."

I glared at him, crossing my arms with a smirk. "I am, Torch. I am." I smiled and turned back to Rachel, who was just finishing explaining the day's events, and talking to Jason about something. I saw from the corner of my eye that Leo smiled back at me. He rubbed my back, and turned back to his seat.

"-do you remember your last name?" asked Rachel.

Jason shook his head.  
"We'll just call you Jason, then. It's clear Hera herself has issued you a quest."

There was a moment of silence, as if Rachel was giving Jason a chance to argue. My eyes were on him, as were everyone else's, waiting to see what Jason would do. Finally, he raised his chin and nodded. "I agree."

"You must save Hera to prevent a great evil," Rachel continued. "Some sort of thing from rising. For reasons we don't yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now."

"That's the council day of the gods." Annabeth said. "If the gods don't already know Hera's gone, they definitely will notice her absence by then. They'll probably break out fighting, accusing eachother of taking her. That's what they usually do."

"The winter solstice," Chiron spoke up, "Is also a time of great darkness. The gods gather on that day, as mortals always have, because there's strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic older than the gods. It's a day when things...stir."

"Okay," Annabeth said, glaring at Chiron. "Thank you, Mister Sunshine." I shivered a little. Hearing the word 'Sunshine' not from Leo, was a little strange. "Whatever's going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so-"

"If he's so important, why hasn't he been claimed yet?" Someone called out.

"He has been claimed." Chiron announced. "Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration."

Wha-a-t? Well, that's explains why he knew about the spirits, and his gold coin that turned to a sword... Jason stepped forward and pulled out that coin from his pocket, and flicked in the air, it's golden sides gleaming in the firelight. When he caught it in his hand, it had turned into a lance - a rod of gold about seven feet long with a spear tip at one end.

"Wha-what? Didn't you have a sword?" Annabeth asked.

"It landed on tails, I think," Jason explained. "Same coin, long-range weapon."

"Cool, I want one!" Yelled an Ares kid.

"Yeah," called another. "Better than Clarisse's electric spear, Lamer."

"Electric," Jason murmured, like it was a good idea. "Back away."

Annabeth and Rachel got the message. Jason raised his javelin, and suddenly, and thunder appeared in the sky. I moved back to where the kids of Hephaestus were sitting. And that was a great decision. The lightning arched down the spear, and hit the campfire with the force of a freight train, causing flaming pieces of wood to fly everywhere. One of them landed me on the leg, and I jumped, moving my leg back and forth, putting out the fire.

Jason smiled sheepishly and lowered his lance. "Um...sorry, Alex."

"No problem!" I laughed, done with the fire. My jeans now were burned near at the knee.

Chiron grimaced, like his worst fears had been confirmed. "Maybe a little overkill, but you've made your point. I believe it is now obvious who your godly parent is?"

"Jupiter." Jason said confidently. "I mean Zeus. Lord of the Sky."

Woohoo, interesting...

"Hold it," Annabeth said. "If he's a child of Zeus, how come we haven't known about him until now? A child of the Big Three couldn't go so long without attracting any attention. It's impossible."

Chiron remained quiet, but something about his silence made it seem like he knew what the answer was, and it wasn't good.

"The important thing," Rachel said. "is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfill, which means he'll need his own prophecy."

She closed her eyes and her knees buckled.  
Me and Lance, my brother, raced forward and caught Rachel before she could hit the ground. Kayla ran to the side of the amphitheater and grabbed a bronze stool. I felt like everyone were really ready for that.

Without the fire, the night was dark, but green mist started swirling around Rachel's feet. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing. Emerald smoke issued from her mouth. The voice that came out was raspy and ancient, and it chilled me to the bone.   
"Child of lightning beware the earth,  
The giants' revenge the seven shall birth,  
The light forge and the dove shall break the cage,  
and death unleash through Hera's rage."

At the last word, Rachel collapsed, but me and Lance were there to catch her. We carried her over to a corner and laid her down to rest.

"Is that normal?" Piper's voice sliced through the thick silence like a knife. "I mean, does she usually spew green smoke like that?"

Drew scoffed in response. "Gods, you're dense. She just issues a prophecy- Jason's prophecy to save Hera. Why don't you just-"

"Drew," Me and Annabeth scolded together.

"Piper asked a fair question." said Annabeth. "Something about this prophecy definitely isn't normal. If breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and a ton of death, why free her at all? It might be a trap, or maybe...or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to demigods."

Jason stepped forward. "I don't have much choice. Hera took my memories. We need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the queen of the heavens if she's in trouble."

Nyssa stirred. "I don't know, Jason," She said. "Maybe Annabeth's right. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son - our dad - down a mountain just because he was ugly."

"Real ugly." Snickered someone from the Aphrodite cabin.

"Shut up." Nyssa snapped. "Anyway, we've also got to think - why beware the earth? And what's the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?"

Annabeth took a deep breath. "It's Jason's quest, so it's Jason's choice. Obviously, he's the child of lightning, and according to tradition, he will choose his companions."

"Well, obviously you, Annabeth!" Someone from the Hermes cabin yelled. "You've got the most experience."

"No, Travis." Annabeth shook her head. "I'm not helping Hera. Every time I've tried, she's deceived me, or it's come back to bite me later. Forget it. No way. Plus, I'm leaving in the morning to find Percy."

"It's connected." Piper blurted out from the other side of the amphitheater. "You know that, right? This whole business...your boyfriend's disappearance, they're connected."

"How?" Drew demanded. "If you're so smart, how?"

Piper moved her lips like a fish gasping for breath, but eventually, she closed her mouth.  
"You may be right, Piper." Annabeth cut in. "If this is connected, I'll find out from the other end - by searching for Percy. As I said, I'm not going to rescue Hera, even if her disappearance sets all the other Olympians fighting again. But there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."

"It says who I pick," Jason agreed. "So...a forge is the symbol for Vul-Hephaestus, and a dove is...V-Aphrodite, so I must need someone from both of those cabins..."

"Hey, what about the Apollo?" Leo called out.

"What?" Drew asked. "The prophecy doesn't say anything about a some loser from the Apollo cabin."

"But it says 'The light forge and the dove shall break the cage'" said Leo. "Doesn't the light mean, you know, Apollo?"

"I hate to say this," Annabeth said. "But Leo do have a point." And she looked at me.

"What?" It took me a moment to realise what she was meaning. And I wasn't very happy about this. "Wait, me?! B-but why?!"

"You are the daughter of Apollo, Alex." Said Jason.

"Well, I know," I snapped, "But why would you take me on your quest? I mean, I don't think I'm good enough to free Hera or something... Will is better than me at healing, and Lance is-..."

"Oh-no-no-no!" Lance shook his head, rising his arms in defeat. "I'm at camp less then a month, I'm not ready for some crazy god's stuff yet!"

"Ria," Will looked at me. "You are good enough. You are one of the best shooters at camp. And your healing skills is pretty good."

"But-..."

"She's just trying to get attention." Drew spat. "I'll bet she's jealous that she's not in the spotlight for once. She hates it that she's not the center of attention."

"That's not true!" I protested. "And how did you came to this conclusion, exactly?!"

"Alex," Jason spoke, getting my attention. "I would be happy if you agreed to take this quest." I looked at him, then at Annabeth, Chiron and Will. I sighed. My first quest after four years at camp, huh?

"Well, if Jason's ready to tolerate me, it's settled." I shrugged, smiling. "I'm one of the four who's going on this quest."

"Yes," Chiron spoke in a sad tone, like he was planning what kind of flowers to put at my funeral. "You are, my dear."

"Be more optimistic, Chiron," I said, smiling. "Do you want me to buy you a new pair of horseshoes on the way back?" Couple of campers laughed.

"Well, alright," Said Jason, "We still need to figure out who the two other people will be. As I was saying, a forge is the symbol for Hephaestus."

Nyssa sighed heavily and slumped her shoulders. "If you have to beware the earth, you should avoid traveling by land. You'll need air transport. The flying chariot's broken, and the pegasi, we're using them to find Percy. But maybe the Hephaestus cabin can help figure something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest." She didn't sound enthusiastic.

Leo stood up and spoke up. "It's me." now Nyssa was trying to pull him down, but he held his ground, despite additional whispered protests from other Hephaestus kids. "No, It's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. I can fix this."

I noticed Jason studying Leo, and for a moment, I thought he was going to say no, but his calculating expression broke into a smile. 

"We started this together, Leo. Seems only right we should finish it. You find us a ride, you're in."

"Yes!" Leo pumped his fist.

"It'll be dangerous, you know." I smirked, crossing my arms. "Hardships, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of us will come back alive."

"Oh." Leo's confident smile melted, and for a moment he was replaced by the sensitive, unguarded boy she'd seen at the Grand Canyon. Then, he seemed to remember everyone was watching, and it vanished in an instant. "I mean...Oh cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this."

Annabeth nodded. "Then, Jason, you only need to choose the third - i mean, fourth - member of your quest. The dove-"

"Oh absolutely!" Drew shot to her feet, shooting Jason a blinding smile that made me roll my eyes again. "The dove is Aphrodite. Everybody knows that. I'm totally yours."

Oh please. Please. Not this one. Dad! Aphrodite! PLEASE! I never asked you anything, maybe you can do me this little favour?

"No." Piper stood up.

Drew rolled her eyes. "Oh please, dumpster girl. Back off."

"I had the vision of Hera; not you. I have to do this."

Yes, yes, yes, please, it's must be Piper! 

Drew scoffed. "Anyone can have a vision, sweetie. You were just in the right place at the right time." She turned to Jason. "Look, fighting is all fine, I suppose. And people who build things..." She looked at Leo with disdain. "Well I suppose someone has to get their hands dirty." She then turned her lethal glare on me. "And someone with the ability to heal is fine too. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot."

Please, please, please... Not her...

"Well..." Annabeth said. "Giving the wording of the prophecy..."

"No." Piper's voice cut in. It sounded clear and confident. "I'm supposed to go."

Yes, yes, yes, please...!

"Get over it!" Drew snapped. Oh. Ohhhh. I felt that. That was the sound of the charm speak. Damn, girl, you're cheating..! "What can Piper do?"

Piper paled, and for the second time that night, looked like a fish out of water, gasping for air.  
"Well," said Drew smugly, "I guess that settles it."

Suddenly, there was a collective gasp, and my gaze drifted towards Piper and my mouth dropped open. Piper's clothes were completely different. She was adorned in a beautiful white sleeveless gown that went down to her ankles, with a low V-neck. Golden arm bands circled her biceps. A huge and uncomfortable looking necklace hung around her neck.

Yes, yes, yes, oh god's, thanks dad, Aphrodite! Thank you very much! 

"Oh my god," Piper said. "What's happened?"

A stunned Annabeth pointed to the dagger hanging at Piper's belt. She pulled it out and her eyes widened, for the first time seeing her flawless make-up and her newly long hair.

"Beautiful," Jason exclaimed. "Piper, you...you're a knockout."

"No!" Piper cried. "This isn't me! I-I don't understand!"

I feel you girl, I feel you...

"Hail, Piper McLean." Chiron announced in that same tone he'd used when talking about me going on the quest. "Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love."


	3. Chapter 3

The camp alarm went off. I jumped from my bed, took my hair clip, that transformed to bow and arrow, and ran out from my cabin in shorts and a black sports top. A satyrs ran in front of me with his arms in the air, screaming, "Don't kill me!". People started rushing out of their cabins in a panic, dressed in a mixture of pajamas and battle armour.

A dragon. The one that almost burned me to death at August 29th, when I was going on patrol to see if there is any monsters next to camp. Everyone was trying to guess where the dragon would land so they wouldn't get crushed to death. Clarisse started shouting at the others; "Don't just stand there! Kill them!". 

I took three of my arrows at once, aiming to the monsters mouth, but then Leo slid off of him. "It's cool!" He said. "Don't shoot!"

Me and the other archers lowered our bows hesitantly, and the warriors dropped their spears and backed away. They formed a loose circle around the dragon, while I continued my way to Leo's direction. The dragon lifted his head and shot a column of fire into the sky, making me squeak. Leo had his hands raised in surrender, not interested in getting murdered by the campers. He looked like a lunatic. He was covered in soot from all the times he'd been blasted with fire and his hands were stained with grease. His eyes were bloodshot, and his curly hair was so oily it stuck up like porcupine quills. 

"Calm down, guys!" He shouted. "Festus is just saying hello."

"That thing is dangerous!" Clarisse shouted. "Kill it now!"

"Clarisse, wait!" I shouted back at her. "Now, Leo," I began with a calm voice, that instantly turned into a yell; "What for the Underworlds sake are you thinking to yourself, bringing it here?!" I smacked the back of his head.

"Ow, that hurts, Sunshine!" mumbled Leo. "And by the way, nice top!"

"Valdez-...!"

"Hey!" Somebody yelled. I looked around to find Jason pushing through the crowd, flanked by Annabeth and Nyssa. Jason glanced up at Festus and then down at Leo. He stared at him in amazement; "What have you done?"

"I found a ride!" Leo beamed. "You said I could go on the quest if I got us a ride. Well I got us a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!"

"It...it has wings." Nyssa stammered.

"Yeah," Leo said. "I found them and reattached them."

"But it never had wings. Where did you find them?" I saw that Leo hesitated and tried to say something, but nothing came out. 

"Probably in the woods," I said, turning my gaze to the dragon. 

"Yeah, uh... I repaired his circuits, too. Mostly. So no more problems with him going haywire. He's not crazy anymore. One hundred percent safe."

"Wait...what did you say?" I asked.

"What?"

"You said you mostly repaired the circuits." I said, "What do you mean by that?"

Festus's head twitched. It tilted to one side and a stream of black liquid - probably oil, or something - poured out of his ear. I leaped out of the way, but Leo wasn't so lucky. It splashed all over him; "Just a few kinks to work out," He said, smiling.

"But how did you survive..." Nyssa stared at Festus in awe. "The fire breath, I mean."

"I'm quick, and I just got lucky, I guess." Leo shrugged. "Now am I on this quest or what?"

Jason scratched his head. "You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, 'festus' means 'happy?' You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?"

"Like in the Neverending story?" I grinned. Well, I like dragons. Especially when they're not trying to kill me or something, you know.

Behind us, Festus twitched and shuddered and flapped his wings.  
"That's a yes, bro!" Leo said. "Now, um, I'd really suggest we get going, guys. I already picked up some supplies from-... Um, the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous."

Jason frowned. "But we haven't planned anything yet. We can't just--"

"Go," Annabeth said. She was the only one who didn't look nervous at all. Her expression was sad and wistful, like this reminded her of better times. "Jason, you've only got three days until the solstice now, and you should never keep a nervous dragon waiting. This is certainly a good omen. Go!

"If we're going now, so give me a second." I groaned, transforming my weapon back to the hair clip. I rushed to my cabin, wore my t-shirt and grabbed my quest back pack. It took me a minute, so they didn't waited for me for too long. "I'm here!"

Leo got back on Festus's back, followed by me. "You ready?" He asked me.

"Hell no," I answered honestly. "If I'll die, the Apollo cabin's going to eat you alive."

"We'll just ask dad to give him a deadly ride on his chariot!" Will smiled and waved at me from the ground.

Leo laughed. "Festus is completely safe. And who knows, maybe this experience will rid you of your fear of heights."

"Uh-huh, yeah, of course..." I said with my voice being 100% sarcastic.

"Just try to imagine that you're riding a bike. A very, very big bike. Very hight above the ground-..." Leo was interrupted by a smack on the back of his head. Again. 

"Shut up, Torch."

"Yes, Sunshine," He said, rubbing the back of his head. Once Piper and Jason were sitting securely on Festus's back, Leo grabbed the reins and we shot into the air. 

I yelped and grabbed onto Leo's back, my face in his nape. "I can't do this," I squeaked.

Leo looked back at me and smiled. "Yes you can. Open your eyes, it's really cool."

"No-no-no... What's the height-...?

"A couple hundred feet."

"Oh for father's sake, why did I agree to this? Lance's not afraid of heights-..."

"Just open your eyes, Al. You won't regret it."

"I am. Already."

"Jason, tell her it's not that bad." Leo shouted.

"It's not that bad." Jason said automatically.

"Of course it's not that bad for you!" I scoffed. "Your dad's Zeus!"

"Well your dad's Apollo! He rides the sun every 12 hours!" Leo laughed. "Please, Sunshine?" 

"Al, you know that he will tease you million years after about this?" Asked Piper from behind. Piper didn't said it with her magical voice or something. Just the fact that Leo will tease me about it caused me to do something.

"Oh my gods, fine, fine!" Well, at first I was terrified. But after I grabbed Leo's t-shirt - mentally saying 'If I'm falling, you're falling with me' - I had to admit that the view was magical. It was freezing, but I didn't minded. I raised my arms, and it left a trace in the cloud in which we were flying. The wind was roaring in my ears, somehow washing the fear to the back of her mind.

Leo grinned back at them. "Cool, right?"

"The best. Quest. Ever." I mumbled, knowing that no one will hear me.

"What if we get spotted?" Piper asked.

"The Mist," Jason said. "It keeps mortals from seeing magic things. If they spot us, they'll probably mistake us for a small plane or something."

"You sure about that?"

"It works, like, 90% of the time." I shouted so Piper can hear me. "Almost at everyone. By the way, how long will be our fly?"

"We're making good time," Jason replied. "Probably be there by morning."

"Yes!" I smiled. "I'll be able to see the stars..!"

"By the way, where is our destination?" Piper asked.

"We're looking for the god of the North Wind," Jason said. "We're gonna chase some storm spirits."

***

"Hey," Leo said in front of me, making me jump and grab his shoulders. My fear of heights didn't washed off. He's is still here. And he's reminding me of he's existence every now and than.

"If we didn't have safety harnesses...!" I mumbled. "Anyway, where are we, exactly?"

"Not sure," Leo said. "New England, maybe?" He turned back." So, what's the plan, bro? You said something about catching wind, or breaking wind, or something?"

I grunted with a laugh. "Calm down and be serious, Leo"

Leo looked at me. "As you say, Sunshine," he said with a grin.

"She's right, Leo," Piper said. "We need to figure out what we're doing."

"Okay," Jason said. "Here's the plan. We need to find this god, ask him for some information. His name's Boreas--"

"His name's Boreas?" Leo asked. "What is he, the God of Boring?"

I rolled my eyes. I'm gonna smack this guy in the back of his head again. Watch me.  
"Okay, then we've gotta track town the venti that attacked us at the Grand Canyon-"

"Can we just call them storm spirits?" Leo interjected. "Venti makes them sound like evil espresso drinks."

"Leo..!" I groaned.

"And then," Jason continued, like he was never interrupted. "We need to figure out who the storm spirits work for, so we can find Hera and free her."

"So you want to look for Dylan, the nasty storm dude, on purpose," Leo said. "The guy who threw me off the skywalk and sucked Coack Hedge into the clouds."

"That's about it," Jason said. "Well... there may be a wolf involved, too. But I think she's friendly. She probably won't eat us, unless we show weakness."

"Wow," I muttered, remembering all my weaknesses. "That sounds reassuring."

Jason told us about his dream - the wolf and a burned out house with stone spires growing out of the swimming pool.

"Uh-huh," Leo said. "But you don't know where this place is."

"Nope," Jason admitted.

"There's also giants," Piper added. "The prophecy said the giants' revenge."

"Hold on," Leo said. "Giants, like, more than one? Why can't it be just one giant who wants revenge?"

"I don't think so," Piper said. "I remember in some of the old Greek stories, there was something about an army of giants. Is that right, Alex?"

"Uh?" I returned from my thoughts. "Oh, right! Huge dudes, almost impossible to kill. They could throw mountains and stuff. They were related to Titans. They rose from the earth after Kronos lost the war-... The one that was thousands of years ago. And they tried to destroy Olympus."

"Great," Leo muttered, "Of course, with our luck, it's an army. So you know anything else about these giants? Didn't you do a bunch of myth research with your dad, Piper?"

"Your dad's an actor?" Jason asked.

Leo laughed. "I keep forgetting about your amnesia. Heh. Forgetting about amnesia. That's funny. But yeah, her dad's Tristan McLean."

"Who's that?" Jason asked.

"It doesn't matter," Piper said quickly. "But I think Alex is right... I don't remember any other giants."

"Chiron said it was happening again," Jason remembered. "The last chapter. That's what he meant. No wonder he didn't want us to know all the details."

"So..." Leo whistled. "Giants who can throw mountains. Friendly wolves that will eat us if we show weakness. Evil espresso drinks. Gotcha. Maybe this isn't the best time to bring up my psycho babysitter."

"Is that another joke?" Piper asked.

"Babysitter?" I frowned.

Leo told us about Tia Callida, who was really Hera, and how she'd appeared to him at camp. That was strange. Really strange. Sometimes, when I looked at the sun, I could see dad and his sun chariot, and not the regular shining ball. But that was regular for Apollo kids. Sometimes I woke up because dad was sending me "a hardrock music playlist to listen to" right to my head...

"That's...disturbing," Piper said, breaking through the silence.

"What-...?" I stopped. "Yeah. Right. Leo's story."

"Thing is, everybody says don't trust Hera." said Leo. "She hates demigods. And the prophecy said we'd cause death if we unleash her rage. So I'm wondering...why are we doing this?"

"She chose us," Jason said. "All four of us. We're the first of the seven who have to gather for the Great Prophecy. This quest is the beginning for something much bigger."

"Huh, I don't seem so important to myself," I mumbled to myself. "I'm not one of the Seven... Prophecy-spider-sense and everything..."

"Besides," Jason continued, not hearing my mumbling. "Helping Hera is the only way I can get my memories back. And that dark spire in my dream seemed to be feeding on Hera's energy. If that thing unleashes a king of the giants by destroying Hera-"

"Not a good trade-off," Piper agreed. "At least Hera is on our side-mostly. Losing her would throw the gods into chaos. She's the main one who keeps peace in the family. And a war with the giants could be even more destructive than the Titan war."

Jason nodded. "Chiron also talked about worse forces stirring on the solstice, with it being a good time for dark magic, and all... Something that could awaken if Hera was sacrificed on that day. And this mistress who's controlling the storm spirits, the one who wants to kill all the demigods-"

"Might be that weird sleeping lady," Leo finished. "Dirt Woman fully awake? Not something I want to see."

"But who is she?" Jason wondered. "And what does she have to do with giants?"

"Too many good questions," I sighed. "And we don't have answers to any of them..."

We stayed silent. I tried to remember something about those giants, but even though I had read the Greek Mythology myths like, thousands of times, I couldn't remember any details. And that was upsetting me.

"Hey, Leo," I said. "You're probably exhausted if you stayed up all night, working on this buddy." I petted the dragon.

"Yeah, so?" Leo asked with a yawn.

"Go to sleep."

"No, I-..."

"I'll wake you up if anything happens."

"You won't push off?" He chuckled.

"I'll think about it. You will know my decision." I smirked.

"Fine," he muttered and a second later, he stretched and leaned back so his head was on my shoulder. I groaned, not really minding his actions. Piper laughed.

"Shush," I said, starting to smile. "You guys can sleep too," I said.

"No, I think-..." they began, but I cutted them;

"Believe me, I know how it is, arrive at camp for the first time." I smiled. "You're feeling exhausted even after 12 hours of sleep. You should rest. I will watch out for any unwelcome visitors. You can relate on me." I said and tapped on the hair clip that was on my head.

They both mumbled something, but after couple of moment's, ot was silent again. Everything was silent. Piper and Jason didn't said a word. Maybe they were asleep, maybe weren't. I was sitting there, silently as well, looking at the sky. The stars were shining. They were surrounding us, so I could spot constellations when I looked up, to the right, to the left... Everything was so peaceful, that I started to think that all the quest will be so peaceful as well.

***

"I will stab you with my arrow if you won't get off of me." I said with a dead serious tone, that turned to loud laugh when Leo jumped from me, with fear in his eyes.

"Alex?"

"Yeah, who did you think it was?" I looked at him, while he rubbed his head gingerly. "I was here when you fell asleep and there's not much room to move around on a flying metal dragon."

"Huh..." Yawned Leo, still not awaken completely. "Did you have an actual reason to wake me up..?"

"Yep," I spread my arms to the sides. "Welcome to Quebec!"

"Yay..." Leo yawned again. 

I glanced over the side couple of times last night and this morning. I was still terrified as hell, but I think I got used to it after couple of hours. The town actually looked pretty nice. In the middle of so much cold white snow, it had a warm cheery glow to it. All of the buildings were crowded together inside a big old wall, and in the center of everything, sat a Christmassy castle with a green roof and red brick walls.

"We're in Quebec?" Leo chuckled. "I thought we're in Santa's workshop."

I tilted my head towards the city, getting a closer look, still grabbing Leo's shirt just to fell secure enough. "Yeah, look's like one."

"Pipes said it was a hotel."

"Wow, really?"

"Look there," Leo leaned over and pointed at something towards the ground. "There's doormen, cars, luggage, valet-"

"Hey guys," Jason interrupted, "We got company!"

Our heads turned in sync, and I saw that Jason was right. A hundred or so feet below us, coming up from the hotel towers, were two winged dudes carrying weapons.

"Are you kidding me-...?" I said aloud, rolling my eyer. Festus suddenly stopped in mid air, causing everyone to jolt forward. He was making this sound in the back of his throat, like a bingo wheel spinning, but scarier. "Um, Leo? What for Apollo's sake?"

Leo let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, that? I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," he said as he fumbled with the reins.

"Torch," I started with a warning tone.

"Well, uh...he may be about to breathe fire," Leo mumbled quickly.

"Oh, great!" I groaned. Ice-angel dudes and a dragon that can burn them to death... Maybe...

"I don't like this," Jason said. "They look like storm spirits."

The first one was huge, and he was dressed like a regular jock, with a bright red hockey jersey, baggy sweat pants, and black leather cleats. He was constantly grinning, and he looked funny with a tons of teeth missing.  
The other guy was...completely different. Quite honestly, he looked ridiculous. His hair was long and styled into a mullet. He was wearing an hilarious silk shirt with the first three buttons open, pointy-toed leather shoes, and designer pants that were way too tight. He had a bad case of acne, and was couldn't've weighed more than ninety pounds. The two angels came to a stop in front of Festus and hovered there, swords at the ready.

"No clearance." The big guy grunted.

"'Scuse me?" Leo said.

"You have no flight plan on file," explained the skinny guy. That was a terribly fake French accent. Really. I can do better. And not because I'm Apollo's child. "This is restricted airspace."

"Destroy them?" The jock grinned stupidly, showing off his many missing teeth. 

Festus began to hiss and steam, ready to defend them. I wasnt the one to protest, because I was pulling my arm to my hair clip, Jason flipped his coin, and Piper put a hand on her dagger, but Leo cried;  
"Hold on! Let's have some manners here, boys. Can I at least find out who has the honor of destroying me?"

"I am Cal!" The jock grunted proudly.

"That's short for Calais," the skinny dude said. "Sadly, my brother cannot say words with more than two syllables--"

"Pizza! Hockey! Destroy!" Cal said happily.

"Which includes his name," skinny dude finished.

"I am Cal," Cal repeated. "And this is Zethes, my brother!"

Leo looked back at me and raised his eyebrows. I shrugged and he turned back to the angels. "Wow, that was almost three sentences, man! Way to go."

Cal grinned proudly.  
"Stupid buffoon," his brother grumbled. "They make fun of you. But no matter. I am Zethes, which is short for Zethes. And the lady there-" He winked at Piper, but it looked more like he was having a facial seizure. "She can tell me anything she likes. Perhaps she would like to have dinner with a famous demigod before we must destroy you?"

"And that's," I began, getting everyone's attention. "Something we, Apollo's kids, call 'disregard'!"

Zethes looked in my direction. His eyes scanned my body, and he looked me in the eyes. I didn't had a model's body, and I never felt bad ot guilty because of this. All this shit with 90-60-90? Ha-ha-ha. Very funny. I was around 93-73-103. Feel the difference, huh? Well, I tried to give Leo and others time to think about something, so I had to endure that look, though I really wanted to shoot this angel-guy. Leo made a strange sound and looked at Zethes. He looked like he was going to beat him, but apparently decided against it. 

Piper made a noise like she was being strangled; "That's...a truly horrifying offer."

"It is no problem," Zethes wiggled his eyebrows, turning back to her, getting me time to breathe in relief. "We are a very romantic people, we Boreads."

"Boreads?" Jason cut in. "Do you mean, like, the sons of Boreas?"

Oh shit. These guys...

"Ah, so you've heard of us!" Zethes looked pleased. "We are our father's gatekeepers. So you understand, we cannot have unauthorized people flying in his airspace on creaky dragons, scaring the mortal peoples." Everyone glanced downward, and saw that the mortals were, in fact, starting to take notice. Several of them were pointing up in annoyance, like the bronze dragon was a helicopter flying too close to the ground. "Which is sadly why, unless this is an emergency landing," Zethes said, "We will have to destroy you painfully."

"Destroy!" Cal said enthusiastically.

"Wait!" Piper cried. "This is an emergency landing."

Cal's face fell. "Awww!"

Zethes stared at Piper. "How does the pretty girl decide this is an emergency, then?"

"We have to see Boreas. It's totally urgent! Please?" Piper forced a smile. Her voice sounded rich and convincing, and I realized she must be using charmspeak, whether she meant to or not. Who said that we have to take her? Yup. That was me. Zethes not-so-subtly tugged at his shirt, probably making sure it was still open wide enough.

"Well...I hate to disappoint a lovely lady, but you see, my sister, she would have an avalanche if we allowed you--"

I hate situations like this. Hate-hate-hate... But every time I'm saying thank you to my dad for my acting skills.

"Please!" I cried. "Our dragon could crash at any minute!" I nudged Festus with my right foot so the angel-guys won't see it. There was a short silence and then he shuddered and tilted his head to the side, spilling black oil on a black Mercedes in the parking lot below.

"No destroy?" Cal asked innocently.

Zethes lifted his hand and stroked an unexisting goatee, pondering the problem. Then he looked at me, while I was still 'crying'.  
"Well," Zethes began, "You two are gorgeous. I mean, you two are right. A malfunctioning dragon... This could be an emergency."

"Destroy them later?" Cal offered, but Zethes shrugged him off.

"It will take some explaining," Zethes decided. "Father has not been kind to visitors lately. But, yes. Come, faulty dragon people. Follow us."

I wasn't surprised when the Boreads pulled out the orange flashlights. Really. That's not the weirdest thing I've ever seen.

"I love these guys," Leo said enthusiastically. "Follow them?"

Nobody really wanted to follow them. But we didn't exactly had a choice.  
"I guess," Jason decided. "We're here now. But I wonder why Boreas hasn't been kind to visitors."

"Pfft, he just hasn't met us," Leo whistled. "Festus, after those flashlights!"

The dragon swooped down closer to the tower. And I wasn't quite sure where they were supposed to land. The Boreads just kept going towards the tower without slowing down at all. 

If I'm gonna die, at least Nico will be able to visit me.

A section of the roof opened up to reveal an entrance that was just barely wide enough for Festus to fit through.

"This cannot be good," Jason muttered, but Festus kept descending, and soon his feet landed with a heavy thunk on the cold hard floor. The room was huge, with high ceilings, fancy furniture, and elaborate decorations. An elegant staircase towards the back of the room lead to another space probably as grand as this. It was a penthouse, but even for a suite, this place was fancy. Anyway, despite the fancy decor, the suite seemed like a pretty normal hotel room. Except for one tiny detail: everything was covered in a layer of ice. 

Maybe Boreas was having a bad day. Maybe he just liked it cold. 

"Guys," Leo said as I slid off of Festus's back, with my legs shivering a bit. "Fix the thermostat in here, and I would totally move in."

"Not me." Jason looked uneasily at the staircase. "Something feels wrong. Something up there..."

"Too high..." I screeched quietly, still standing next to Leo. Festus shuddered and spewed flames. Frost started to form on his scales.

"No, no, no." Zethes marched over. "The dragon must be deactivated. We can't have fire in here. The heat ruins my hair."

I rolled my eyes. He reminded me of Drew. And I don't like Drew.

"S'okay, big guy," Leo turned to Zethes. "The dragon's a little touchy about the whole deactivation concept, but don't worry. I've got a better solution."

"Destroy?" Cal suggested.

I rolled my eyes again. "No. You are not destroying Festus." As for someone who almost killed me couple of months ago, this dragon guy was too cute and nice. I couldn't stay mad at him. "He's our friend, and we don't destroy friends." 

Cal frowned and hung his head a little. "Sorry," he said guiltily.

Leo grinned, and gave me a wink. "Alright then...let me just..."

"Um...Leo?" Piper asked nervously. "What are you-"

"Watch and learn, Beauty Queen." Leo said. "When I was repairing Festus last night, I found all kinds of buttons." Leo grinned. "Some of them, you don't want to know what they do, but others... Ah, here we go!" Leo said happily. 

He hooked his fingers behind the dragon's left foreleg. He pulled a switch, and the dragon, that was standing right next to me, shuddered from head to toe. Everyone backed away as Festus folded like origami. His bronze plating stacked together. His neck and tail folded into his body. His wings collapsed and his trunk compacted until he was a rectangular metal wedge the size of a suitcase. Leo grinned again and sauntered over to the suitcase. He leaned down, tried to pull it up, and...couldn't lift it. His face turned red as he pulled and pulled to try to get that thing off the ground, but he accomplished nothing.

"Um...yeah...well, this thing weighs like six billion pounds, so...hold on. I think-aha!"  
He clicked another button. A handle sprang out from the top end and wheels from the bottom. "Ta-da!" He announced. "The world's heaviest carry on."

"That's impossible," Jason said. "Something that big couldn't--"

"Stop!" Zethes ordered, and the two ice angel brothers drew their swords simultaneously. They both glared at me and Leo like we just murdered their grandma or something.

We raised our hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, okay. What did we do?" I asked, surprised.

"Stay calm, you guys. If it bothers you that much, I don't have to take the dragon as a carry on." Leo said.

"Who are you?" Zethes roughly shoved the point of his sword against Leo's chest, while Cal pointed his sword against mine. "The children of the South Wind, spying on us?"

Leo looked taken aback. "What? No! Son of Hephaestus, and she's-...."

Cal put his face right up to Leo's. He scrunched his nose up, like he was...sniffing for something? "Smell fire," he said. "Fire is bad. Warmth too."

Leo looked like he was having a heart attack. "Oh? Um...yeah, I've been, we've been...I-"

"Well," I cut in, "Of course he smells like fire! I probably do too, and I probably smell like... Warmth. Leo worked all night on mending Festus here," I pointed towards the suitcase. "And I am-..."

"No!" Zethes pushed Leo back at sword point. "It's different." Zethes turned to address Leo. "We can smell fire, demigod. We assumed it was from the creaky dragon, but now the dragon is in the suitcase, and I can still smell fire...on you. The gorgeous girl here smells like a warm sunny day, but you-..."

Leo took a step back, his face pale as Zethe's hair. "Hey, look...I don't-" He looked at his friends desperately. "Guys, a little help?"

Jason slipped his gold coin out of his pocket. He was watching Zethes apprehensively, like a teacher dealing with a particularly bad kid. "Look, there's been a mistake. Leo isn't a fire guy. Tell them, Leo. Tell them you're not a fire guy."

"Um..."

"Zethes?" Piper tried for her most dazzling smile, but she looked a little too nervous and cold to pull it off. 

"Hey, like I said, we're all friends here." I looked at Cal who was still aiming his sword to my chest. "And we don't destroy friends."

"The girls are pretty," Zethes admitted. "And of course they can't help but be attracted to my amazingness," Zethes continued, "But sadly I cannot romance them at the time." He poked his sword further into Leo's chest, and I could see a white frost slowly spreading across his shirt.

"Destroy her too?" Cal asked his brother.

"You can't!" I tried to speak, "I am a daughter of-...""

Zethes nodded. "Sadly, I think-"

"No," Jason insisted in that strong leader voice. "Leo's just a son of Hephaestus. He's no threat. Alex is a daughter of Apollo, Piper's a daughter of Aphrodite, and I'm a son of Zeus. We're here on a peaceful mission--"  
Jason's voice faltered, because the Boreads had suddenly turned on him.

"You said she's a daughter of Apollo?" Zethes looked at me, and then waved his hand, causing Cal to low his sword. Oh, thanks Jason.... "And you're the son of Zeus?" Zethes asked eagerly.

"Um...yeah," Jason said hesitantly. "That's a good thing, right? My name is Jason."

Cal's eyes widened and his mouth opened to form an O shape. "Can't be Jason," he said. "Doesn't look the same."

Zethes stepped forward and studied Jason's face. "No," he decided. "He is not our Jason. Our Jason was more stylish. Not as good as me, but stylish. Besides, our Jason died millenia ago."

"Wait," Jason said. "Your Jason? You mean the original Jason? The Golden Fleece guy?"

"Of course," Zethes replied proudly. "We were his crewmates aboard his ship, the Argo, in the old times, when we were mortal demigods. Then we accepted immortality to serve our father, so I could look good for all time, and my silly brother could enjoy pizza and hockey."

"Hockey!" Cal agreed.

"But Jason, our Jason, he died a mortal death. You can't be him."

"I'm not," Jason agreed.

"So destroy?" Cal asked, pointing at my chest again.

"No." Zethes said with a slight fear in his voice. "We can't touch the warm girl. And if he is a son of Zeus, he could be the one we've been watching for."

"Watching for?" Leo asked. "You mean like in a good way: you'll shower him with fabulous prizes? or watching for like in a bad way: he's in trouble."

A girls voice said, "That depends on my father's will."

I looked up the staircase. Standing at the top was possible the strangest looking girl I had ever seen. She fixed her dark brown eyes on me, and a small smile tugged at the girl's lips I hated that look. And I hated this girl, or woman, or what else would you prefer to call her. Then, she looked over Leo, scowled, and moved her gaze over to Piper and Jason. She narrowed her eyes.

"You could've said 'Hi'," I crossed my arms, rolling my eyes. "Sister in law." She ignored me. Well, what a loss. Wow.

"Father will want to see the one called Jason," the girl said.

"Then it is him?" Zethes asked excitedly.

"We'll see," the girl said. "Bring our guests."

Beside me, Leo hurriedly grabbed the handle of the bronze suitcase. I knew he's make a fool of himself trying to lift it, so she reached over to help him, but to her surprise, he just shooed her away and kept tugging at it himself. Maia frowned. What was up with him? She looked at Leo and followed his gaze...to the girl. Oh. Oh no. That was bad. Leo had a crush on the creepy girl. Then I did a step forward...

"Not you, two." the girl said.

"Oh, really?" I groaned. 

"Why not?" Leo asked.

"You cannot be in the presence of my father," the girl said. "Warmth and ice... it would not be wise."

"We're going together," Jason insisted, "Or not at all."

"They will not be harmed, Jason Grace," the girl said. "Unless you make trouble. Calais, keep Leo Valdez and Alexandria here. Guard him, but do not kill him."

Cal pouted. "Just a little?"

"No," the girl insisted. "And take care of his interesting suitcase, until Father passes further judgement."

"It's fine, guys," Leo said. "No sense causing trouble if we don't have to. You go ahead."

"And besides," I smiled, landing an arm on Leo's shoulder. "I'm here, with him. They won't hurt me, and I won't let them hurt Leo. Right, Sis?" I smiled to Khione.

"Yes." The girl struck out. "Unfortunately father has to keep his promise to Apollo, otherwise it'll cause too many problems."

"Yep," I said. My attitude gave a contrast to her. "Leo and I will be perfectly safe. You can go." 

Thanks to my natural charm, and a little of acting skills, Cal agreed to clean us up, using his magic. Now me and Leo were standing in the hall, waiting for Piper and Jason.

"Hey," I heard Leo's voice.

"Huh?" I looked at him. He looked extremely handsome. I have no idea why I mentioned that.

"Why did you called her... Sister in Law?" Leo looked at me with confusion. "And why did these guy said that he can't touch you?"

"Well," I sighed. "About hundred years ago, one of my brother's got merried to Khione. And one time when he was on a quest with some other female demigod, she showed up and turned him to an ice statue, because she thought that he was cheating on her." I said, looking over at Leo, who now was sitting with a surprised look. "Then dad got angry, because he loved his son, and he told Boreas and his children that he won't distroy them if they'll swear on river Styx that they won't hurt his children."

"And that why you can talk to het like that," Leo grinned.

"Yup!" I shrugged. And as I raised my gaze, I saw Piper and Jason walking down the stairs with Khione behind them. Festus spurted fire. I looked up and realized he was, again, in his normal shape. I noticed that Leo' s eyes followed Khione, but there's was a lot more fear then amusement. 

"You have fooled my father, girl." said Khione to Piper. "But you have not fooled me. We are not done. And you, Jason Grace, I will see you as a statue in the throne room soon enough."

"Boreas is right," Jason said. "You're a spoiled kid. See you around, ice princess." I may know Jason for only more than 24 hours, but I already like him. 

"Be careful," Zethes warned, whispering. "She never forgets an insult."

Cal grunted in agreement. "Bad sister."

"She's the goddess of snow," I said loudly enough for her to hear. "If she wants to build a snowman, I'm never available!"

Leo looked devastated. "What happened up there? You made her mad? Is she mad at me too? Guys, that was my prom date!"

"We'll explain later," Piper said with a nervous glance towards Jason.

"Yeah," Jason agreed. "We'll explain later."

"Be careful, girls," Zethes said. "The winds between here and Chicago are bad-tempered. Many other evil things are stirring. I am sorry you will not be staying. You would make a lovely ice statue, in which I could check my reflection."

"Thanks," Piper said. "But I'd sooner play hockey with Cal."

"Hockey?" Cal's eyes lit up.

"Joking," Piper said.

"The storm winds aren't our worst problem, are they?" I asked.

"Oh, no," Zethes agreed. "Something else. Something worse."

"Worse," Cal echoed.

"Can you tell me?" Piper gave them a smile.  
This time, the charm didn't work. They Boreads shook their heads in unison. She hangar doors opened onto a freezing starry night, and Festus the dragon stomped his feet, anxious to fly.

"Ask Aeolus what is worse," Zethes said darkly. "He knows. Good luck."

Cal patted Leo on the shoulder. "Don't get destroyed. Next time-hockey. Pizza."

"C'mon guys," Jason said. "Let's go to Chicago and try not to get destroyed.


	4. Chapter 4

After we left Boreas's place, it was a pretty smooth ride. That is, until Festus fell from the sky. And as you know I am terrified of heights. So now, tumbling through the clouds, the ground getting closer and closer as I fell, I was seriously regretting my decision to join to this quest. I could see the lights from the city glimmering far below, and several hundred feet away the body of the bronze dragon spinning out of control, his wings limp, fire flickering in his mouth like a badly wired light bulb. A body shot past her - Leo, screaming and frantically grabbing at the clouds;  
"Not cooooool!"

I tried to call out to him, but he was already too far. I looked to her side and saw Piper free falling next to her. I reached out my hand and grabbed the other girl's shirt, in a stupid effort to calm her nerves. It didn't work. Piper glanced over and saw me, and then looked up. I looked up too, and saw Jason far above them. Oh yeah. Zeus son. Able to fly. If it wasn't the night, I could turned the light to solid and try to stop the fall, but oops, how unlucky. 

Jason was shouting something. I could barely understand him, but thanks to my father, I had a great hearing. 

"What did he say!?" shouted Piper.

"Level out!" I responded. "Extend your arms and legs!"

She nodded and did what I said. It worked a little bit to control our balance, but the city lights were still approaching. Well, i thought, If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die. And then I saw Jason wrapping his arms around Piper, who'd slowed her fall a bit with Jason's advice. And a second later Jason arms wrapped around my waist. 

"Where's Leo?" I shouted.

Our fall slowed as Jason controlled the winds, but we still lurched up and down like the winds didn't want to cooperate.

"Gonna get rough," Jason warned. "Hold on!"

I tightened my grip on him, and Jason shot towards the ground. And then, we slammed into another warm body - Leo, still wriggling and cursing.

"Stop fighting!" Jason said. "It's me!"

"My dragon!" Leo yelled. "You gotta save Festus!"

Oh no. There was no way Jason could carry a fifty ton metal dragon. He was already struggling to keep the four of them aloft. Before I could get some words out, I heard an explosion below us. A fireball rolled into the sky from behind a warehouse complex, and Leo sobbed;  
"Festus!"

No, no, the dragon-... Festus had to be alright. Leo just saved him. He can't-...

Jason's face reddened with strain as he tried to maintain an air cushion beneath them, but intermittent slow-downs were the best he could manage. Rather than free-falling, it felt like they were bouncing down a giant staircase, a hundred feet at a time.

Jason groaned, "I can't--"

And we dropped like stones. We hit the roof of the largest warehouse and crashed through into darkness. I landed in a heap next to Piper. Pain was filling my body, but it seemed like she didn't broke anything. I pushed myself to my feet and looked around. We were in some warehouse with various equipment scattered around. Me and Piper had landed on some sort of platform, by the looks of it. I whirled around to see if the daughter of Aphrodite was okay. She was still crumpled on the ground, with her eyes closed.

"Leo? Jason? Guys? I think we have a problem up here!"

It was silent for a moment, but soon I heard Leo's voice calling out. "Sunshine? Al? Hey, where are you? Where's Piper-" Then a groan. "Ouch bro! That's my back! I'm not a sofa! Hey? Where are you guys?"

"Up here," I called, then I heard shuffling and grunting, then feet pounding on metal steps. I glanced nervously at Piper, trying to calm down. I need all my strength now. Mental and Physical. The healing process was easier at the sun light - like any other thing that a child of Apollo could - but now there were no sunlight, which means that I have to rely on my own powers.

Leo and Jason reached the landing. "Are you guys okay?"

"Piper isn't," I said, not even thinking about telling something about my condition.

Leo grimaced. "Oh, no, she's not."

By then, Piper had regained consciousness, and she groaned weakly. "Thanks for the reassurance."

"You'll be fine," Jason said, though I could hear the worry in his voice.

"Ok, Piper," I breathed in and out couple of times. "Listen to my voice and try to get distracted. Leo, you got any first aid supplies?" My voice was surprisingly calm, like I was in the infirmary with Will.

"Yeah-yeah, sure." He dug around in his tool belt and pulled out a wad of gauze and a roll of duct tape-both of which looked too big for the belt's pockets.

"How did you-" Piper tried to sit up, and winced, getting distracted just as I told her to. "How did you pull that stuff from an empty belt?"

"Magic," Leo said. "Haven't figured it out completely, but I can summon just about any regular tool out of the pockets plus some other helpful stuff." He reached into another pocket and pulled out a little box. "Breath mint?"

"Leo, focus." I said like a teacher in the first grade. "Now, can you fix her foot?"

"I'm a mechanic, Sun'. Maybe if she was a car..." He snapped his fingers. "Wait, what was that godly healing stuff they fed Jason at camp-Rambo food?"

"It's ambrosia," I said. "It's in my bag... Where is it, actually? 

Jason found my bag quickly, rummaged through the supplies and found a Ziploc full of smashed pastry squares like lemon bars. He broke off a piece and fed it to Piper. Her face suddenly relaxed, and she smiled slightly.

"More," she said.

"Sorry Pipes," I said, as I shook my head. "Maybe later if my healing won't work good enough. The side effects of too much ambrosia can kill you easily, and I need you alive" I smiled. "Now, I will set your foot like in supposed to be, ok?" I figured it out that people act more calm if you're telling them what are you going to do in a regular tone, like 'I will borrow your pen!'.

"Have you ever done that before?" Piper asked worriedly. Her voice was shivering a bit.

"Yes." I nodded with confident. "Remember Austin? My little brother? This one with the sexofone?" Piper nodded. "When he arriver at camp, he had all his leg bones broken. And who healed him?"

"You?" Piper asked. I smiled, nodding. 

"Did you saw how this boy ran and danced? Damn i was never so proud of my work!" Piper laughed slightly. I talked with Piper until Leo found an old piece of wood and broke it in half for a splint. Then he got the gauze and duct tape ready.

"Hold her leg still," I told to Jason. "Leo... I think you're brave enough to hold her hand." I sighed. "I'm not gonna lie Piper, this is going to hurt. Just breath." I was afraid as hell, but here I was, acting confident and in control, not letting Piper's screams to distract me. After a minute, that seemed endless, Piper's ankle was splinted with plywood, gauze, and duct tape, and her foot was pointed the right way, while I was moving my hands above the injury, using my healing powers.

"Ow," Piper said.

"Jeez, beauty queen!" Leo rubbed his arm. "Glad my face wasn't there."

"Sorry," she said. "And don't call me 'beauty queen', or I'll punch you again."

"You did great." I said, leaning towards the wall next to me. "At the morning I will heal you again, but now I can tell that your ankle isn't as bad as it could be." Jason found a canteen in Piper's pack and gave her some water.

The wind howled outside, and snowflakes fluttered through the hole in the roof. I had to take a walk. I felt that. Healing powers was exhausting even at the light of day, so I wasn't surprised when I realized that I was falling asleep. I didn't slept since we left the Camp... And the fact that I just set a bone by myself was a little shocking too.

"Hey, what happened to Festus?" Piper asked, causing me to open my eyes. "Where are we?"

Leo's expression turned sullen. "I don't know with Festus. He just jerked sideways like he hit an invisible wall and started to fall." Leo pointed to the logo on the wall. "As far as where we are..."

It was hard to see through the graffiti, it was late at night, my eyes we're closing ny themselves and I had dyslexia. That's why I didn't even tried to read the name of the place.

"Closed car plant," Leo said. "I'm guessing we crash landed in Detroit."

"How far away is that from Chicago?" I asked.

"Maybe three fourths of the way from Quebec? The thing is, without the dragon, we're stuck traveling overland." Said Jason.

"No way," Leo said. "It isn't safe."

"He's right," Piper said. "Besides, I don't know if I can walk. And four people--Jason you can't fly that many across the country by yourself."

"No way," Jason said. "Leo, are you sure the dragon didn't malfunction? I mean, Festus is old, and--"

"I might not have repaired him right?"

"I didn't say that," Jason said. "It's just--maybe you could fix it."

"I don't know." Leo sounded crestfallen. He pulled a few screws out of his pockets and started fiddling with them. "I'd have to find where he landed, if he's even in one piece."

"You have to be more positive," I said. "Though, it was a pretty big fall.. "

"It was my fault." Piper said suddenly.

"Piper," Jason said gently, "You were asleep when Festus conked out. It couldn't be your fault."

"Yeah, you're just shaken up," Leo agreed.

"You're in pain, just rest." I said, smiling at her, and standing up. "And I will take a walk... I need to breathe a little air, otherwise I will pass out right here." 

Leo stood up either. "Yeah, um, Jason, why don't you stay with Piper? And I will go will Al, maybe scout around for Festus... Is that okay?" He looked at me. I nodded and Leo continued, "I think he fell outside the warehouse somewhere. If we can find him, maybe I can figure out what happened and fix him."

"It's too dangerous," Jason said. "I don't think we should split up."

"Ah, we've got duct tape, breath mints, and this little warrior. We'll be fine," Leo said it all way too quickly, and I realized he was a lot more shaken up than he was letting on. And he messed my hair. He never messed my hair. "You guys just don't run off without us."

Leo reached in his magic tool belt, grabbed a flashlight, and I followed him down the stairs, breathing the cold air. 

"Are you okay?" Leo asked me.

"Yeah," I said. "Why wouldn't I be? Because I just fell from the sky, facing one of my biggest fears, set a bone with my own hands and used healing powers, that causing me to feel like I need to sleep at least 14 hours? Nuh, just a regular day in a demigods life." I shrugged. "And what's about you, Torch?"

There was this thing... People opened up to me. They could hide they're thought's and fears, but they're always opened up at the end. I didn't liked that all the time. 80% of the times I had no idea what am I supposed to do right now. But this time I somehow knew even before Leo started talking;

"He wasn't supposed to fall. I fixed him and then I was so happy, because I got to go on the quest with you guys, but now he's broken, and you were counting on me, and I failed you, even though I promised I wouldn't. And I failed Festus too, because I told him he'd be okay, but now I don't know where he is, or if he's even in one piece, and I failed him." he let out a little laugh, and stopped, looking at the ground.

I sighed, took couple more steps to him, and hugged him tightly. I knew how it felt, when you try to cover your fears with jokes. I was used to be cocky, sometimes over confident, telling jokes no one understands and laugh at them. It always helped me to hide my fears and issues. And it looked rational, untill I met Leo. Being the child of Apollo isn't only singing, making music, acting and healing broken bones. It helpes you understand people. They're mental health. That's why I got along with Nico Di-angelo; He knew that even though I didn't experienced his pain, I understood it. And I was about to give this feeling to Leo.

"Thanks, Sunshine." He said quietly.

"Don't call me that," I laughed. We were now standing next to where Festus crashed. "Yo, chek this out, Torch!" I said excited, pulling back from the hug. Festus had landed on a line of Porta-Potties. Thankfully, they hadn't been used in a long time, and the fireball from the crash had incinerated most of the contents. "Now, tell me how I can help you with this buddy."

Leo huffed; "You don't afraid to get your feet dirty?"

"I just set a bone," I said, like it explained everything. "The last thing that I will think about, is dirt.."

Leo laughed and rolled his eyes, but started climbing over the dragon's inanimate body, waiting for me to follow him. After a few minutes, he smiled; "His body isn't even dented! It's not my fault." And then to the dragon; "Festus, you're making me look bad in front of a hot girl!"

"Valdez..." I smiled, being completely ready to smack the back of his head. He laughed, and got down, to clean something. I raised my gase, studying the place where we we're.

"Enough Valdez," Leo mumbled to himself, but my incredible hearing still sensed that. "Nobody's going to play violins for you just because you're not important. Fix the stupid dragon."

I frowned. Ok budd, If you're not getting it this way, I'll try the other one.

"Hey, Torch," I called to, squatting next to Leo.

"Huh?"

"Can you give me... Um..." I was silent for a moment. "Four small metal and three wooden strings. And a hammer. And a small screwdriver." Leo looked at me like I was crazy, but gave me everything I asked him. Then I smiled and rushed couple of meter away from him, starting working. I have no idis how much time it took me, but Leo was still next to me. 

I pulled a small stick from the ground, and finished my little project. After three seconds I was already standing next to Leo with a DIY violin. 

"And the show begins," I said, starting to play on a violin some old Irish music - that just remembered - and spinning around. "I called it Rialin," I smiled, coming closer to Leo, stoping with the spinning thing. "And it was created especially for dumb guys like you, who keep saying that they're not important, even though they're are closely the most important ones." Leo opened his mouth as if to say something, but before he could, the ground started to speak.

'She's right, Leo.'

I jumped and looked around, but didn't spotted anyone. Leo touched my arm, and I turned around to him. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. A face that had formed in the ground. A ground lady? A dirt lady?

'They need you desperately,' she said. 'In some ways, you are the most important of the seven - like the control disk in the dragon’s brain. Without you, the power of the others means nothing. They will never reach me, never stop me. And I will fully wake.'

Leo seemed to recognize her, but I was still there, standing without any clue what for the Hades's sake was happening. All the Greek Myths that I've ever read spinned in my head, causing me a headache - and it wasn't a good thing, considering the fact that I was already sleepy and tired.

“You.” Leo shaking and obviously was not happy from seeing this lady’s face in the dirt. Well, I could understand him... “You killed my mom.” Oh. I remembered when Leo said that Rolling Stones were his mom's favourite band. Then I didn't payed attention go this, but now I got it. He's mother was dead... And this-... thing, killed her.

'Ah, but Leo. I am your mother too - the First Mother. Do not oppose me. Walk away now. Leave Alexandria and the other demigods. They never cared for you. Just like everyone else in your life. Let my son Porphyrion rise and become king, and I will ease your burdens. You will tread lightly on the earth.'

My headache was getting stronger. I closed my eyes, trying to calm down the pain. I barely could hear something other from the ground lady's voice. It was loud, and I didn't knew if it was just because of my demigodly hearing, or if she tried to make my head explode. 

"Shut up, shut up, shut up..." I mattered, screeching my teeth and covering ears. Every word from her dirty mouth was pounding in my head. I tripped over my own foot and fell to my knees. "Stop talking, stop..."

She looked at me.   
'Ah yes, the daughter of Apollo, Alexandria Lambraques... You are a strong girl. I heard the stories from my children and all that you've done to them...' the lady laughed, making me suffer even more. 'You may not be one of the seven in the prophecy, but your belated death would be a nice revenge for my children...'

"Shut up, shut up, I'm not even listening..." I lied. I couldn't not listen. Her voice was the only thing that I heard. Nothing else existed. Only her voice and my quiet mumbling.

And then it suddenly stopped. I didn't realized the world was so loud. I heard the wind between the leaves and the trees, the sound of the moving cars from the city, and a loud breathing that was heard from my right side.

I poned my eyes, raised my head and saw Leo. He was standing were the ground lady was a second ago, with a Porta Potty seat in his hands. 

"Uh-..." I closed my eyes again, breathing deeply. 

"You alright?" Leo asked, giving me his hand and helping to rise up on my feet.

"Yeah, of course... Like I said, a regular day-..." I cut off by the sound of two dump trucks slamming together. The sound of metal crumpling echoed across the yard from the factory. The pain in my head was calming down, but the loud sound made me shiver and grimace. My and met Leo’s eyes met and I groaned, quietly, transforming my hair clip to the weapon. Leo pulled a massive hammer from his toolbelt and we went back to the factory as quickly as possible.

We stopped at the door. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Strangely, I didn't had any thoughts in my head. The ground lady's voice wasn't there either, and I was glad for that... The morning light started filtering through the hole in the roof, making me feel better. The thought that Dad was starting his ride like usual was somehow calming me a little. I looked around but didn't find a sign of Piper or Jason.

Somewhere on the factory floor, Piper’s voice cried out: “Leo, Ria, help!”

I was about to run to the direction from where the voice was heard, but them the a single though came to my mind, and I pulled my hand out, stoping Leo, who was about to do a step forward.

"Wha-..?"

"That's not Piper." I whispered, cutting him off. Leo was silent for a moment, and then he facepalm. 

"Yeah, your right, how could Piper have gotten off the catwalk with her broken ankle...?" 

"Uh... Yeah... Right..."

"You didn't thought about it?"

"To be honest?" I smiled sheepishly. "I thought about the fact that she never called me 'Ria'."

We slipped into the factory, trying not to make any noise. Piper’s voice called out again: “Guys?”

I peeked around the machinery. Hanging directly above the assembly line, suspended by a chain from a crane on the opposite side, was a massive piece of machinery—just dangling thirty feet up, as if it had been left there when the factory was abandoned. Below it on the conveyor belt sat a truck chassis, and clustered around it were three dark shapes the size of forklifts. Nearby, dangling from chains on two other robotic arms, were two smaller shapes. 

Then one of the forklift shapes rose, and I realized what they're. And I was completely unhappy about it. “Told you it was nothing,” one of them rumbled.

One of the other forklift-sized lumps shifted, and called out in Piper’s voice: “Leo, Ria, help me! Help—” Then the voice changed, becoming a masculine snarl. “Bah, there’s nobody out there. No demigods could be that quiet, eh?" Huh. Bold of you to assume, dude.

The first monster chuckled. “Probably ran away, if they knows what’s good for them. Or the girl was lying about two more demigods. Let’s get cooking.”

The assembly line was suddenly illuminated, as a bright orange light sizzled to life and I would be blinded, if I wasn't Apollo's kid. What a blessing. The two smaller things dangling from the crane arms were Piper and Jason. Both hung upside down, tied by their ankles and cocooned with chains up to their necks. Piper was flailing around, trying to free herself. Her mouth was gagged, but at least she was alive. Jason, on the other hand, didn’t look so good. He hung limply, his eyes rolled up into his head. A red welt the size of an apple had swollen over his left eyebrow. These guys have to be extremely strong if they knocked out Jason like that... On the conveyor belt, the bed of the unfinished pickup truck was being used as a fire pit. The emergency flare had ignited a mixture of tires and wood, which, from the smell of it, had been doused in kerosene. A big metal pole was suspended over the flames. That was bad. And the cooks wasn't making it better. 

They were Cyclops.

A fire-breathing sixty-foot-long tank would be very useful right now. I looked at my bow, trying to think what can I do. My head was pounding, and all I wanted to do was shoot those monsters and go to sleep. The Cyclops in the chain mail loincloth walked over to Piper, who squirmed and tried to head-butt him in the eye. Yes. Well done Piper. “Can I take her gag off now? I like it when they scream.”, he asked.

The question was directed at the third Cyclops, the leader. The crouching figure grunted, and the Loincloth ripped the gag off Piper’s mouth. She didn’t scream. Instead, she took a shaky breath, like she was trying to keep herself calm. I heard that Leo unzipped his backpack and pulled out stack of little mechanical bits out of the backpack. He slipped a screwdriver from his toolbelt and got to work. He had to go very slowly, so the Cyclopes just twenty feet in front of us wouldn’t notice. 

I was keep watching the Cyclopes. The one in the toga poked at the fire, which was now blazing away and billowing noxious black smoke toward the ceiling. His buddy Loincloth glowered at Piper, waiting for her to do something entertaining. “Scream, girl! I like funny screaming!” 

When Piper finally spoke, her tone was calm and reasonable, like she was correcting a naughty puppy. “Oh, Mr Cyclops, you don’t want to kill us. It would be much better if you let us go.” Oh. Right. Charm speaking.

Loincloth scratched his ugly head. He turned to his friend in the fibreglass toga. “She’s kind of pretty, Torque. Maybe I should let her go.”

Torque, the dude in the toga, said; “I saw her first, Sump. I’ll let her go!”

Sump and Torque started to argue, but the third Cyclops rose and shouted, “Fools!”.

Leo almost dropped the screwdriver, but I catched it with my leg like a ball, and turned again to the Cyclops. The third one was female, ten feet taller than Torque or Sump, and even beefier. She wore a tent of chain mail. Her greasy black hair was matted in pigtails, woven with copper wires and metal washers. Her nose and mouth were thick and smashed together, like she spent her free time ramming her face into walls; but her single red eye glittered with evil intelligence. And I was familiar with this eye. I was next to him couple of years before. Ma stalked over to Sump and pushed him aside, knocking him over the conveyor belt. Torque backed up quickly.  
“The girl is Venus spawn,” the lady Cyclops snarled. “She’s using charmspeak on you.”

Piper started to say, “Please, ma’am—”

“Don’t try your pretty talk on me, girl! I’m Ma Gasket! I’ve eaten heroes tougher than you for lunch!” Then she started yelling at Sump about how stupid he was.

I frowned. How did I won the last time? How? How?

“-eat her last, Ma?” I heard Sump saying, and snapped out of my thoughts.

“Idiot!” Ma Gasket yelled. “I should have thrown you out on the streets when you were babies, like proper Cyclops children. You might have learned some useful skills. Curse my soft heart that I kept you!”

“Soft heart?” Torque muttered.

“What was that, you ingrate?”

“Nothing, Ma. I said you got a soft heart. We get to work for you, feed you, file your toenails—”

“And you should be grateful!” Ma Gasket bellowed. “Now, stoke the fire, Torque! And Sump, you idiot, my case of salsa is in the other warehouse. Don’t tell me you expect me to eat these demigods without salsa!”

“Yes, Ma,” Sump said. “I mean no, Ma. I mean—”

“Go get it!” Ma Gasket picked up a nearby truck chassis and slammed it over Sump’s head with a loud crash. Sump crumpled to his knees. Ouch. That probably hurts.

"Do you trust me?” I heard Leo ask. I turned to him and blinked. 

"Depends on what you are going to do." I said, raising my eyebrows, intercepting my bow. 

"Oh, I'll just try to bring our death closer." He smiled, winking at me.

"Oh, then of course, I trust you." I grinned. "And how are you going to do that, exactly?"

Then we dashed towards the Cyclops. When Leo ran to one of the panel's, I ran behind one of the machines and pulled a bowstring with an arrow, preparing to shoot one of the cyclops in the eye. And then I caught the eye of Piper. Her expression turned from terror to disbelief, and she gasped.

Ma Gasket turned to her. “What’s the matter, girl? So fragile I broke you?”

Thankfully, Piper was a quick thinker. She looked away from me and said, “I think it’s my ribs, ma’am. If I’m busted up inside, I’ll taste terrible.”

Ma Gasket bellowed with laughter. “Good one. The last hero we ate—remember him, Torque? Son of Mercury, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, Ma,” Torque said. “Tasty. Little bit stringy.”

“He tried a trick like that. Said he was on medication. But he tasted fine!”

“Tasted like mutton,” Torque recalled. “Purple shirt. Talked in Latin. Yes, a bit stringy, but good.”

My fingers froze on the bowstring. Apparently, Piper was having the same thought they were, because she asked; “Purple shirt? Latin?”

“Good eating,” Ma Gasket said fondly. “Point is, girl, we’re not as dumb as people think! We’re not falling for those stupid tricks and riddles, not us Northern Cyclopes.”

The Northern... Uh, I hate this kind of Cyclops... They're not as dumb as those from the South, and it doesn't making the whole 'kill them' plan easier. I snapped from my thoughts, hearing Piper's voice.

"I’ve heard about the Northern Cyclopes!” I heard. “I never knew you were so big and clever!”

“Flattery won’t work either,” Ma Gasket said, though she sounded pleased. “It’s true, you’ll be breakfast for the best Cyclopes around.”

“But aren’t Cyclopes good?” Piper asked. “I thought you made weapons for the gods.”

“Bah! I’m very good. Good at eating people. Good at smashing. And good at building things, yes, but not for the gods. Our cousins, the elder Cyclopes, they do this, yes. They think they’re so high and mighty ‘cause they’re a few thousand years older. Then there’s our southern cousins, living on islands and tending sheep. Morons! But we Hyperborean Cyclopes, the northern clan, we’re the best! Founded Monocle Motors in this old factory—the best weapons, armour, chariots, fuel-efficient SUVs! And yet—bah! Forced to shut down. Laid off most of our tribe. The war was too quick. Titans lost. No good! No more need for Cyclops weapons."

“Oh, no,” Piper sympathized. “I’m sure you made some amazing weapons.”

Torque grinned. “Squeaky war hammer!” He picked up a large pole with an accordion-looking metal box on the end. He slammed it against the floor and the cement cracked, but there was also a sound like the world’s largest rubber ducky getting stomped.

“Terrifying,” Piper said.

Torque looked pleased. “Not as good as the exploding ax, but this one can be used more than once.”

“Can I see it?” Piper asked. “If you could just free my hands—”

Torque stepped forward eagerly, but Ma Gasket said, “Stupid! She’s tricking you again. Enough talk! Slay the boy first before he dies on his own. I like my meat fresh.”

Shit, shit, shit...

“Hey, wait,” Piper said, trying to get the Cyclopes’ attention. “Hey, can I just ask—”  
The wires sparked in Leo’s hand. The Cyclopes froze and turned in his direction. Then Torque picked up a truck and threw it at him.

I was paralyzed for a moment as the truck came soaring through the air towards us. Thankfully, Leo still had the ability to move. He grabbed my hand and pulled me aside as the truck steamrolled over the machinery. Ma Gasket spotted us and yelled, “Torque, you pathetic excuse for a Cyclops, get them!”

Torque barreled towards us. After a moment, the first robotic arm whirred to life - a three-ton yellow metal claw slammed the Cyclops in the back so hard, he landed flat on his face. Before Torque could recover, the robotic hand grabbed him by one leg and hurled him straight up. 

“AHHHHH!” Torque rocketed into the gloom. The ceiling was too dark and too high up to see what happened, but judging from the harsh metal CLANG, I guessed the Cyclops had hit one of the support girders. 

“Dad, bless my arrows.” I whispered, firing one arrow to Torques direction. And he never came back down. Instead, yellow dust rained to the floor. Torque had disintegrated.

Ma Gasket stared at them in shock. “My son... You... You...”

As if on sue, Sump lumbered into the firelight with a case of salsa. “Ma, I got the extra spicy—”

He never finished his sentence. Leo worked his remote and the second robotic arm whacked Sump in the chest. The salsa case exploded like a piñata and Sump flew backward right into Leo’s third machine. He was still for a moment, and that was enough for me to shoot him with one of my arrow's.

Two Cyclopes down. 

"Yes...!" I jumped in place, clapping my hands like a little girl. Well this little girl killed two Cyclops a second ago. I was about to give Leo a high five, when I saw that Ma Gasket locked her eye on me. Shit. Ma Gasket grabbed the nearest crane arm and ripped it off its pedestal with a savage roar.

“You busted my boys! Only I get to bust my boys!” Leo punched a button on the remote, and the two remaining arms swung into action. Ma Gasket caught the first one and tore it in half. The second arm smacked her in the head, but that only seemed to make her mad. She grabbed it by the clamps, ripper it free, and swung it like a baseball bat. It missed Piper and Jason by an inch. Then Ma Gasket let it go—spinning it towards Leo and me. I was about to fire an arrow, hoping that it'll hit her eye, but Leo pushed me and we rolled to the side as it demolished the machine next to them. 

Ma Gasket stood about twenty feet from us now, next to the cooking fire. Her fists were clenched, her teeth bared. “Any more tricks, demigods?” Ma Gasket demanded.

I glanced at Leo and saw his gaze darting up to the massive piece of machinery suspended on the chain. He seemed to be assessing it, looking for weaknesses.

“Heck, yeah, I got tricks!” Leo raised his remote control. “Take one more step, and I’ll destroy you with fire.”

Ma Gasket laughed. “Would you? Cyclopes are immune to fire, you idiot. But if you wish to play with flames, let me help!”

She scooped red-hot coals into her hands and flung them at Leo and Maia. They landed all around their feet.

“You missed,” he said incredulously. I saw Ma Gasket grin and saw her reach for a barrel next to the truck. Oh. Oh shit. I was about fire another arrow in Ma's direction, but Leo pushed me to the side. I landed on the ground, safe, and my arrow hit the barrel marked KEROSENE, and it split on the floor in front of Leo.

Coals sparked. Me and Piper screamed; “No!”

A firestorm erupted around Leo. When I saw Leo open his eyes, he was bathed in flames swirling twenty feet into the air. How could anyone survive-...? All I could hope for is that Leo will be okay. As I watched, the kerosene burned off, dying down to small fiery patches on the floor.

Piper gasped. “Leo?”

I couldn't say a word. I just coughed because of the smoke that was in the air - and then passed out.


	5. Chapter 5

When I woke up, I sat in front of Leo. He held me by the waist so that I would not fall, and still somehow managed to control the dragon. ,I yawned widely and heard a chuckle above my ear.

"Good morning, Sunshine." I could bet on 10 drachmas that Leo was smirking right now.

"First of all, i told you, don't call me Sunshine" I rubbed my eyes. "And second, what kind of position is this?"

"Huh, I had to give you my place at the front to hold on and be sure that you won't fall off Festus straight to the underworld, and you are still complaining?"

"Ye-ep..." I stretched, yawning. A sudden movement from behind her caused me to turn around. 

"How do you feel?" Leo asked.

“Well... Generally fine...” I said, and noticed my bandaged hands. “I think...” then Jason’s panicked voice yelled; 

"Cyclops!”

“Whoa, sleepyhead.” Piper soothed him.

“D-Detroit,” Jason stammered. “Didn’t we crash-land? I thought—”

“It’s okay,” Leo spoke up. “We got away, but you got a nasty concussion. How you feeling?”

“How did you—the Cyclops—”

“Ma and Leo ripped them apart!” I said, excited, like before - at the factory. Every one gets excited through his own things. I get excited after I kill monsters and stay alive. “I just shoot couple of arrows, but Leo was amazing! He can control fire—”

“It was nothing,” Leo said quickly.

“Oh no-no-no, Torch, I'm going to tell him. You were just-... Wow!” and I told the tale of how me and Leo defeated the Cyclopes family and how he did all this amazing things with the machines - Piper continued telling us how Leo freed Jason, then noticed the Cyclopes starting to reform; how he had replaced the dragon’s wiring and gotten them back in the air just as they’d started to hear the Cyclopes roaring for vengeance inside the factory.

When Piper told about the other kid the Cyclopes claimed to have eaten, the one in the purple shirt who spoke Latin, Jason looked like his head was going to explode. He paused for a moment, thinking.

“I’m not alone, then,” he said. “There are others like me.”

“Jason,” Piper said, “you were never alone. You’ve got us.”

“I—I know… but something Hera said. I was having a dream… uh..." Jason frowned, like he was trying to remember something. Poor Jason, i thought, he-... Wait. 'Poor Jason' There was a situation that I was thinking 'poor Jason'... But it surely was 'Jason'? Ot maybe I just forgot something... c'mon me, try to remember, what did mom said... No, I'm sure it was 'Jason'...

"Hey, wait a second." I said, suddenly. "Jason, how did Khione called you? I mean, your last name?"

"Grace..." he said, like he wasn't sure what I was about to do with this information. Boom. My heart was going faster. Grace. Grace! His last name was Grace! How could I don't pay attention to this?! Oh gods-...

"Is there-..." I cleaned my throat. "Is there any possibility, even the smallest, that you have a sister?" I looked at him. The thought seemed so odd. That was impossible, right...? It's just a dream, just a rare happy dream, and now I will wake up to reality....

"Thalia." Jason nodded. "She’s my sister. Hera mentioned her.”

I squeaked, raising my hands towards the sky.  
"Thank you, dad!" 

"Sun' what-...?" Leo started.

"Oh, yeah, right." I smiled brightly and cleanedy throat again. "Jason Grace, I am your cousin."

~JASON POV.~

I stared at Alex. She was sitting in front of Leo, so she had to turn around to face me. She was smiling, her gray eye's were sparkling, her short blond hair darted because of the wind, constantly falling into her eyes while her magic hair clip held her bangs. She looked a big like Annabeth... The nickname that Leo gave her - 'Sunshine' - really suited her. Jason didn't knew if it's because she was a daughter of Apollo, but she really looked like she could replace the sun. She smiled a lot, sometimes acted childish and was like a living reminded to the fact that they're just kids. They're just 15 years old. And the fact that she was his cousin brightened his day. It was just like she told him 'you can have a piece of my warmth too'.

"I, uh-..." He didn't knew how exactly people act in those situations. "You-... You're sure?"

"Yup!" She seemed so happy, that Jason just couldn't not smile at her. "My cousin, named Jason Grace, aka Thalia's little brother, disappeared about-... Uh... Twelve years ago, I think."

"That means that we know from where Jason is!" Piper smiled, patting my shoulder.

"Oh, what a sweet family reunion!" Leo smiled, rubbing Alex's back. "We have to celebrate it with some food. I'm starving. And Jason can tell us about your dream."

~END OF JASON POV.~

“Oh...” Leo said when Jason finished telling us about his dream.

I grinned grimly. “Hera's the one that took our memories, and even when she's sending you a vision, she can't just tell you where she is and why the heck all this happens. And you asked why Annabeth hates her...”

“Sun', I don't think that insulting the queen of Olympus is a good idea.” Leo said cautiously. "This ice princess from before already hates you..."

“I know...” I grumbled. "But she erased my cousins memory. So she can't really expect that we will be happy to give her freedom..."

“Ans this exchange...” Piper asked. "What does that mean...?"

Jason shook his head. “I don’t know. But Hera’s gamble is me. Just by sending me to Camp-Halfblood she broke some kind of rule. That’s why you, Alex, was there, to show everyone that they can trust me. Whatever rule she broke, it’s something that could blow up in a big way—”

“Or save us,” Piper said hopefully. “That bit about the sleeping enemy—that sounds like the lady Leo told us about.”

"Yeah..." I looked at Leo, pushing him to tell Piper and Jason the new details.

Leo cleared his throat. “About that… she kind of appeared to us back in Detroit, in a pool of Porta-Potty sludge.”

“Did you say… Porta-Potty?” Jason asked.

I waved my hand as saying 'Thats not the point here!' Leo told them about the big face in the factory yard, while I was sitting there, looking down at cities that we were passing above. I still was afraid of heights, by somehow I learned to trust Festus and Leo. If i was sitting at any other dragon I would close my eyes and pray until the fly will end, but now I was just freely sitting at the front seat, patting Festus's neck.

"And then she said that she heard about what Alex done to her children, and that-..." Leo looked at me. I was listening, but I didn't gave him any sign that I do. "She said that Alex's death would be a good revenge."

"Her children...?" Jason frowned, looking at me. I raised my head back, looking at him.

"I-... I don't really think I know what she was talking about." I exhaled. "Her children... Maybe-... Maybe she's like Echidna..."

"What?" Leo wad surprised. "The one that looks like a giant hedgehog?"

"No, Torch," I said. "The monster. The mother of monsters and everything... I mean, maybe this ground lady is also a mother to couple of monsters that I killed..." I groaned, looking at the sky above us. "I don't know, she just messed all my thoughts! I think I know who she can be, but it seemes like she-..."

"Erased this memory?" Jason continued. I nodded in agreement.

“Well, we don’t know if she’s completely unkillable,” Leo said. “But she cannot be defeated by toilet seats. I can vouch for that." I would have smiled, if the thought about the possibility that my memory about this dirt lady was erased stopped me. "She wanted me to betray you guys, and I was like, ‘Pfft, right, I’m going to listen to a face in the potty sludge.’"

I stepped in. “Oh, and she said that I'm not one of the 7 half bloods from the prophecy... And I can agree with her at this one..."

“She’s trying to divide us.” I could hear the tension in Piper’s voice. Apparently, so could Jason, because he asked;   
“What’s wrong?”

“I just… Why are they toying with us? Who is this lady, and how is she connected to Enceladus?” Piper asked.

“Enceladus?” Jason’s voice sounded confused. 

“I mean…” Piper’s voice quavered. “That’s one of the giants. Just one of the names I could remember.”

Leo scratched his head. “Well, I dunno about Enchiladas—” my stomach groaned a little, thought we just ate.

“Enceladus.” Piper corrected.

“Whatever. But Old Potty Face mentioned another name. Porpoise Fear, or something?”

"It’s Porphyrion, Leo. Porphyrion. Like Parthenon, but Porphyrion.”

Leo chuckled and placed his chin on my shoulder. “You’re the smart one.”

“I think Porphyrion was the giant king.” Piper said.

I glanced back at Jason’s face. He seemed to be thinking. “I’m going to take a wild guess,” he said. “In the old stories, Porphyrion kidnapped Hera. That was the first shot in the war between the giants and the gods.”

“How did you know?” I grinned, happy that I remember this myth. “But the myths are really conflicted. It’s almost like nobody wanted the true story to survive. All I remember is there was a war, and the giants were almost impossible to kill. Not much, really..."

“Heroes and gods had to work together,” Jason added. “That’s what Hera told me.”

“Kind of hard to do,” Leo grumbled, “If the gods won’t even talk to us.”

That was true. The gods didn't reacted and didn't answered the calls and prays. No matter how many times I tried to talk to Apollo, he never answered. I was really happy that he was my father - because he wasn't like other gods. Ares's kids was afraid of him deep down, Aphrodite's kids always tried to look as best as possible to make their mom proud, Hephaestus's kids sometimes blamed him for their social awkwardness, Athena's children had to be intelligent... 

And our dad? If you're not insulting his favourite bands, he's alright with you. A healer? Good. A singer? Wonderful. A writer? You have the opportunity to be one of the best in every subject because everything can be called 'art'. And father respected everyone's choise. And most of the time he acted like 18 years old teen that just when from a boy's band audition, so it was pretty funny, to talk with him. Though sometimes he acted a little arrogant. But I really missed him. And yes, even the hardrock music playlist in my head.

Jason’s voice came from behind. “Chicago.” Wow. I raised my head, looking around. The sun moved, telling me that I was lost in my thoughts for a hour or so.

“One problem down,” Leo said. “We got here alive. Now, how do we find the storm spirits?”  
Jason pointed out a flash of movement - that I would never have seen even with my vision - first it looked like a small plane. But then I noticed it was rapidly changing shape. I could have sworn it was a horse for a second. A storm spirit. 

“How about we follow that one,” Jason suggested, “And see where it goes?”

We followed the spirit for awhile. Jason was worried we had lost our target.

“Speed up!” Jason urged.

“Bro,” Leo said, “If I get any closer, he’ll spot us. Bronze dragon ain’t exactly a stealth plane.”

Oh, you may be wondering how I felt while we were chasing the storm spirit. Huh. I felt horrible. Sitting on a flying in hight speed dragon. I started regretting my thoughts about the fact that I got used to all this flying thing. No. I wasn't used to it. But there was only one thing that made me feel better; Leo - while still sitting behind me - grabbed the reins and caused me to lean back, so my head rested against his chest. 

We tried to follow the spirit into the grid of downtown streets, but Festus’s wingspan was too wide. His left wing clipped the edge of a building, slicing off a stone gargoyle before Leo pulled up.

“Get above the buildings,” Jason suggested. “We’ll track him from there.”

“You want to drive this thing?” Leo grumbled, but he complied.

After a few minutes, I spotted the storm spirit again. It was zipping through the streets with no apparent purpose, ruffling flags, making cars swerve.

“Oh great,” Piper groaned. “There’s two.”

She was right. A second ventus blasted around the corner of the Renaissance Hotel and linked up with the first. They wove together in a chaotic dance, shooting to the top of the skyscraper, bending a radio tower, and diving back down toward the street.

“Those guys do not need anymore caffeine,” Leo said.

“You neither.” I scoffed.

“I guess Chicago’s a good place to hang out,” Piper said. “Nobody’s going to question a few more evil winds.”

“More than a couple,” Jason replied. “Look.”

The dragon circled over a wide avenue next to a lakeside park. Storm spirits were converging—at least a dozen of them, whirling around a big public art installation.

“Which one do you think is Dylan?” Leo asked. “I wanna throw something at him.”

"Throwing him somewhere will be good enough for me," I mumbled.

I looked at the fountain the spirits were circling.Two five-story monoliths rose from either end of a long granite reflecting pool. The monoliths seemed to be built of video screens, flashing the combined image of a giant face that spewed water into the pool.  
As we watched, the image on the screens changed to a woman’s face with her eyes closed.

“Leo …” I started.

“I see her,” Leo said. “I don’t like her, but I see her.”

Then the screens went dark. The venti swirled together into a single funnel cloud and skittered across the fountain, kicking up a waterspout almost as high as the monoliths. They got to its center, popped off a drain cover, and disappeared underground.

“Did they just go down a drain?” Piper asked. “How are we supposed to follow them?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” Leo said. “That fountain thing is giving me seriously bad vibes. And aren’t we supposed to, like, beware the earth?”

That's was a good point, but Jason, my cousin (I'm just happy I accidentally found him, 'kay?), thought the other way.

“Put us down in that park,” Jason suggested. “We’ll check it out on foot.”

Festus landed in an open area between the lake and the skyline. The signs said Grant Park, and I could imagine it being a beautiful place in the summer, but now, in the middle of winter, it was a field of ice, snow, and salted walkways. The dragon’s hot metal feet hissed as they touched down. Festus flapped his wings unhappily and shot fire into the sky, but there was no one around to notice. The wind coming off the lake was bitter cold. Anyone with an iota of common sense would be inside.

They dismounted, and Festus the dragon stomped his feet. One of his ruby eyes flickered, so it looked like he was blinking.

“Is that normal?” Jason asked.

Leo pulled a rubber mallet from his tool bag. He whacked the dragon’s bad eye, and the light went back to normal. “Yes,” Leo said. “Festus can’t hang around here, though, in the middle of the park. They’ll arrest him for loitering. Maybe if I had a dog whistle…”  
He rummaged in his tool belt, but came up with nothing. “Too specialized?” he guessed. “Okay, give me a safety whistle. They got that in lots of machine shops.” This time, Leo pulled out a big plastic orange whistle. “Coach Hedge would be jealous! Okay, Festus, listen.” Leo blew the whistle. The shrill sound probably rolled all the way across Lake Michigan. “You hear that, come find me, okay? Until then, you fly wherever you want. Just try not to barbecue any pedestrians.” The dragon snorted in agreement. I thought. Then he spread his wings and launched into the air and we watched him fly away.

Piper took one step and winced. “Ah!”

“Your ankle?” Jason asked, with a guilty look on his face. I felt guilty either. My power's went off, and I didn't healed her again, and now she must be in pain...

“It’s fine.” Piper shivered. She took a few more steps with only a slight limp, but I could tell she was trying not to grimace.

“Let’s get out of the wind,” I suggested. "Then before we'll go to sleep I'll heal your ankle again and give you a little nectar. I'll try to do everything right so we both won't feel exhausted."

“We can go down a drain,” Jason said.

“Sounds cozy.” Piper shuddered.

We wrapped ourselves up as best we could and headed toward the fountain. According to the plaque, it was called Crown Fountain. All the water had emptied out except for a few patches that were starting to freeze. It didn’t seem right that the fountain would have water in it in the winter anyway. Then again, those big monitors had flashed the face of the mysterious dirt lady... We stepped to the center of the pool. No spirits tried to stop us. The giant monitor walls stayed dark. The drain hole was easily big enough for a person, and a maintenance ladder led down into the gloom.

Jason went first. Piper, Leo and I climbed down after him. The ladder dropped into a brickwork tunnel running north to south. The air was warm and dry, with only a trickle of water on the floor.

“Are all sewers this nice?” Piper wondered.

“No,” I said, and heard an echo. Oh, no, wait, it was Leo. “How do you know...?” I asked and heard the same echo. Oops. We talked together again.

“Hey, I ran away six times." Leo laughed at the situation. "I’ve slept in some weird places."

"I was hiding from the monsters during the war," I said, and hastened to change the subject. "Now, which way do we go?”

Jason tilted his head, listening, then pointed south. “That way.”

“How can you be sure?” Piper asked.

“There’s a draft blowing south,” Jason said. “Maybe the venti went with the flow.” Unfortunately, as soon as they started walking, Piper stumbled. Jason had to catch her.

“Stupid ankle,” she cursed.

“Let’s rest,” Jason decided, like the leader he was. “We could all use it. We’ve been traveling nonstop for over a day. Leo, can you pull any food from that tool belt besides breath mints?”

“Thought you’d never ask. Chef Leo is on it!” Jason put Piper on a brick ledge while Leo shuffled through his pack, and went to help him, while I sat next to Piper's injured leg - my legs crossed. She didn't seemed very comfortable with the fact that I had to use my power's for her, so I decided that I can distract her with some talk, but before I could say a word, she began;

"So... You and Leo?" I raised my head and looked at her. The misterious smirk on her face surprised me.

"What 'me and Leo'?" I asked, my hands still moving above her ankle.

"Oh, c'mon, Al," her smirk widened. "You wee glued to him all the flight. And at the factory. And at the campfire, you-..."

"What?!" I panicked for a moment. "Piper, I-... What are you talking about? Your Aphrodite-spider-sense told you something?"

"Just intuition." Her smirk turned to a full smile. "And I started to think that I was right..."

"What? Why?!"

"Well, your blushing..."

"I have a natural blush, and it's dark here, how-..."

"And my Aphrodite-spider-sense telling me so." 

"Oh really Pipes? Really?" The girl laughed and we changed the subject. After couple more minutes I started feeling sleepy, cursing myself for using dad's powers at dark places again. 

"Hey, Al," Jason walked to us and sat next to Piper. "Go warm yourself by the fire. I'll sit with Piper." A few feet away, Leo lit a small cooking fire. He hummed as he pulled supplies out of his pack and his tool belt. I watched him with a small smile, and nodded to Jason.

"Alright, cousin." 

The guy didn't seemed to mind when I called him that, as if it was connecting him to something, even though he didn't remembered it at all. Over at the fire, Leo stirred some sizzling bell peppers and meat in a pan; “Yeah, baby! Almost there.” I came near him, laughing. 

"What's up, Torch?" I asked, landing next to him, reaching my hands to the fire, trying to warm myself up, like Jason said.

"Im fine," Leo shrugged. "How about you? How are you doing after healing Pipes?"

"Tired," I noted. "But better than at the factory. My head doesn't feels like its about to explode."

"And that's great," Leo smiled.

"Yup," I nodded.

“And bingo!” Leo announced. After a moment we came over to Piper and Jason with plates stacked in our arms. I had no idea where Leo gotten all the food, or how the he had put it together so fast, but it looked amazing: pepper and beef tacos with chips and salsa. I could blame my ADHD for not keeping focused on the food, but I forgot about it.

“Leo,” Piper said in amazement. “How did you—?”

“Chef Leo’s Taco Garage is fixing you up!” he said proudly. “And by the way, it’s tofu, not beef, beauty queen, so don’t freak. Just dig in!”

I wasn’t sure about tofu, but the tacos tasted as good as they smelled. While we ate, Leo and I tried to lighten the mood and joke around;

"Oh, wait you remember this time-...!" I began, starting to giggle.

"No-no-no! Sunshine, I beg you..!"

"Shut up, Valdez, I'm going to tell him." I said and turned to Jason. "Imagine a huge school hallway," i said to him. "First day of high school. No one knows who you are. You are a regular 5'6 guy that looks like Santa's elf..."

"Sunshine!"

"Shh!" I giggled. "So, Leo entered the school gates at his very first day, and guess in whom he bumped first?"

"You?" Jason grinned.

"Yes!" I held myself from laughing before I finished the story. "We both fell on the ground, and when Leo was about to curse, he looked at me and his jaw dropped to the underworld..!" I started laughing with Leo, Piper and Jason were only smiling, and I was happy that they felt good enough to do that. "He stood up and said..." I couldn't say a word because of the laugh, and Leo continued for me;

"I said 'Leo my name is, hi'" he cracked up after these word's, making Piper and Jason laugh either.

"I thought it was a Star Wars reference!" I elbowed Valdez. "Master Yoda..."

After we ate and laughed, Jason encouraged Piper to get some sleep. Without another word, she curled up and put her head in his lap. In two seconds she was snoring. Jason looked up at Leo, who was obviously trying not to laugh.

I squeaked quietly. "My ship is sailing...!"

"What?" Asked Jason and Leo in unison.

"Nuh, forget about it." I waved my hand. "Another fandom reference." I reached for my backpack, leaned him against the wall and leaned back on him, closing my eyes, making myself comfortable. I wasn’t sure if I would actually get some sleep, but I tried.

Jason and Leo sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking lemonade Leo had made from canteen water and powdered mix.

“Good, huh?” Leo grinned. Another interesting thing about my hearing; sometimes, mostly before I fall asleep, I can see things through my hearing. Like now, when I knew that Leo grinned even though my eyes were closed.

“You should start a stand,” Jason said. “Make some serious coin.” But as he stared at the embers of the fire, something began to bother him. “Leo… about this fire stuff you can do… is it true?”

Leo’s smile faltered. “Yeah, well…” He opened his hand. I heard a small ball of flame burst to life.

“That is so cool,” Jason said. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

I heard like the fire went out. “Didn’t want to look like a freak.”

“I have lightning and wind powers,” Jason reminded him. “Piper can turn beautiful and charm people into giving her BMWs. Alex can turn light to solid and heal people." Hey, he forgot about my incredible hearing! "And her archery skills. That isn't normal." Oh~, thanks cousin. "You’re no more a freak than we are. And, hey, maybe you can fly, too. Like jump off a building and yell, ‘Flame on!’”

Leo snorted. “If I did that, you would see a flaming kid falling to his death, and I would be yelling something a little stronger than ‘Flame on!’ Trust me, Hephaestus cabin doesn’t see fire powers as cool. Nyssa told me they’re super rare. When a demigod like me comes around, bad things happen. Really bad.”

“Maybe it’s the other way around,” Jason suggested. “Maybe people with special gifts show up when bad things are happening because that’s when they’re needed most.”

I heard that someone, probably Leo, cleared away the plates. “Maybe. But I’m telling you… it’s not always a gift.”

Jason fell silent. “You’re talking about your mom, aren’t you? The night she died.” Leo didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. The fact that he was quiet, not joking around... That told enough. “Leo, her death wasn’t your fault. Whatever happened that night—it wasn’t because you could summon fire. This Dirt Woman, whoever she is, has been trying to ruin you for years, mess up your confidence, take away everything you care about. She’s trying to make you feel like a failure. You’re not. You’re important.”

“That’s what she said.” Leo said. “She said I was meant to do something important—something that would make or break that big prophecy about the seven demigods. That’s what scares me. I don’t know if I’m up to it.”

If you asked most kids, “Hey, you want to summon fire, lightning, control light and turn dangerously beautiful?” they’d think it sounded pretty cool. But those powers went along with hard stuff, like sitting in a sewer in the middle of winter, running from monsters, losing your memory, watching your friends almost get cooked, and having dreams that warned you of your own death.

I heard Leo turning over red-hot coals. “You ever wonder about the other four demigods? I mean… if you, me and Piper are three of the ones from the Great Prophecy, who are the others? Where are they?”

I thought about it, but tried to push it out of my mind.

“I don’t know,” Jason said. “I guess the other four will show up when the time is right. Who knows? Maybe they’re on some other quest right now.”

Leo grunted. “I bet their sewer is nicer than ours.”

The draft picked up, blowing toward the south end of the tunnel.  
“Get some rest, Leo,” Jason said. “I’ll take first watch.”

Leo and Jason ended their conversation, and I heard Leo’s footsteps come towards me. After a second there was silence. I opened my eyes, turning my head to the lsft. Leo sat down beside me - he was leaning his head on the wall, eyes cast towards the roof.

“Cant fall asleep?”

“My thoughts are failing me.”

“And what did you thought about?” Leo turned his head to me. There was only couple of inches apart between our faces. 'So... You and Leo?' I heard Piper's voice from behind.

"I thought that my bag isn't so comfortable," i said, landing my head on Leo's shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, Sunshine...!" I heard Leo's voice. "Wakie-wakie sleepy head!" I groaned, and tried to cover my ears, but then a someone whispered to me year; "Boo." 

"Oh for Hades sake, Leo!" I groaned again, waking up eventually.

"Oh, you woke up!" Leo smiled. He was sitting next to me. Our bags were ready, they finally broke the camp. "We we're waiting for you."

I yawned and sat up. Piper was looking great for someone who slept in a sewer. And she didn't seemed very happy about that. Jason looked tired, but this expression was seen on each and every one of our little squad. Leo's hair was surprisingly less messy than earlier, but it was probably because here wasn't any wind. I stood up, took a Breath mint?" from Leo, and we started to walk down a tunnel. It twisted and turned, and seemed to go on forever. I wasn't really sure what to expect at the end - a dungeon, a mad scientist's lab, or maybe a sewer reservoir.

Instead, we found polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive M. Next to the elevator was a directory board like they have in shopping malls. "M for Macy's?" Piper guessed. "I think they have one downtown in Chicago." 

"Or Monocle motors still?" Leo asked. "Guys, look at the directory, it's messed up." 

And indeed it was;  
Parking, Kennels and Main entrance-sewer level   
Furnishings and Cafe M: 1   
Women's fashion and magical appliances: 2   
Men's wear and weaponry: 3   
Cosmetics, potions, poisons, and sundries: 4 

"Kennels for what?" Piper asked stupidly. "And what sort of department store has their entrance in a sewer?" 

"Or sells poisons?" Leo continued. "What do sundries even mean, is it like, underwear?" 

I took a deep breath. "When in doubt, start at the top." I said, pulling my hair clip from my hair.

The doors slid open on the first floor, and Jason stepped out sword ready.

"Guys?" he called. "You have got to see this." And we stepped out, one by one. I was the last one with my bow and arrows.

"This is not Macy's," Piper said, awestruck. The department store looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling was a stained glass mosaic, with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washed everything inside a thousand different colors. The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so we could see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glittered so brightly, they were hard to look at. 

This place was so calm and beautiful. I looked around. Apart from the elevator and the roof, there were no other entrances and exits, but there were two sets of glass escalators ran between the levels. I looked down The carpeting was a riot of oriental patterns, and colors and the racks of merchandise were just as bizarre. There was too much to take at once, but I also did see racks of normal stuff like shirts, and shoe trees, but they were mixed in with armored mannequins, beds of nails, and fur coats...

"Check it out!" I pointed to the middle of the atrium. There was a fountain that sprayed water twenty feet into the air, changing color from red to yellow to blue. The pool glittered with gold coins, on either side of the fountain stood an oversized canary cage. In one, there was a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. In the other, frozen like a statue, was a short, buff satyr, holding a tree branch club. 

"Coach hedge!" Piper yelled. "We need to get down there!" 

"May I help you find something?" a cool female voice said behind them. All four of us jumped back. She smiled. 

"I'm so happy to see new customers! How may I help you?" 

"Um..." Jason started. "Is this your store?" 

The woman nodded. "I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stored are, these days." She said these days like she hadn't been around in this time frame. "I decided it would make the perfect place," the woman continued. "I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods at reasonable prices. So this seems a good...how do you say it...first acquisition in this country." She spoke with a pleasing accent, but not American. I felt like I should know her, but my thoughts were passing by, not letting me collect them all at once. Just like with the dirt lady.

"So you're new to America?" Jason asked conversationally.

"I am...new," the woman said. "I am the princess of Colchis. My friends call me your highness. Now, what are you looking for?" 

Piper poked Jason in the ribs. "Jason..." 

"Um right, actually, your highness..." he pointed down to the gilded cage on the first floor. "That's our friend down there, Gleeson Hedge. The satyr. Could we, um...have him back, please?" Yeah, of course she will give him to us-...

"Of course!" the princess agreed. Wha-at? That was suspicious. "I would love to show you my inventory. First, may I know your names?" 

I could see Jason thinking and began to say, "Jason, maybe it's not-..." 

"This is Piper," he gestured towards the girl. "This is Leo, I'm Jason and this is Al-..." 

"Alexandria...!" The woman smiled at me.

"Yeah..." I nodded my head, wondering how did she knew my name. "Nice... To meet you too..."

The princess, still with a smile on her face, fixed her eyes on Jason, and for a moment, her face glowed with anger, literally. It was blazing with so much anger, I could actually see her skull. The glanced at Piper. She had seen it too. Then the moment passed, and Her Highness looked like a normal, elegant woman again.

"Jason. What an interesting name..." she said, her voice as cold as the Chicago wind. "I think we'll have to make a special deal for you. Come, children. Let's go shopping." 

I wanted to run for the elevator or shoot this woman with my arrow's, but she had the boys under her trance, and I doubted they would be too happy with me if I killed her. The princess gestured towards the cosmetics counter. 

"Shall we start with the potions?" 

"Cool," Jason said. I was starting to panic. I hated situation like this too. The enemy wasn't just a big dumb monster that you can shoot from many feet apart. You had to think and do and say only the right things so everyone will stay alive.

"Guys," Piper interrupted. "We're here to get the storm spirits, and Coach hedge. If this...princess...is really our friend-..." 

"Oh, I'm better than a friend my dear. I'm a saleswoman." Her diamonds glittered, and her eyes glittered like a snake's, cold and dark. Piper looked at me for guidance. Well, girl, the fact that I have a thousands of battles behind me, doesn't say that I know what to do with charm speaking witches!

"Don't worry," the princess continued. "We'll make our way down to the first floor, eh?"

Leo nodded eagerly. "Sure yeah! That sounds good. Right, Piper, Al?" Something was clearly wrong with Leo. I contemplated going up to him and shaking his shoulders, but then this sorceress would know that they were onto her. If she didn't already. Piper did her best to stare daggers at Leo - 'No, it's not okay!'. 

"Of course it's okay!" Her Highness gushed. She put a hand on Leo and Jason's shoulders and steered them towards the cosmetics section. 

Me and Piper looked at each other helplessly. I nodded my head with a sigh. We had no choice but to follow. Though I wasn't really the biggest fan of department stores or beautiful witches who wanted me and my friends shopping for our deaths. 

MEN were seriously dumb. This was what was going through my head as I watched Jason and Leo follow the princess. A siren? No, they're still alive, and besides, we're not in the sea of monsters... Maybe she really was a witch...? Or-... The princess' voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "This one will heal any disease. " I looked at the bottle. Dad had couple of those poisons. It was like a ambrosia for mortals, but he never tried it on anyone, thought everyone was sure this thing works.

"Even cancer?" Leo asked. "Leprosy? Hangnails?" 

"Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial"—she pointed to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside—"will kill you very painfully. " 

"Awesome," Jason said. His voice sounded dazed and sleepy. 

"Jason," I said, itching to pull the bowstring and shoot the dark princess. "We've got a job to do, remember?" 

"Job to do," Jason muttered. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?" 

"No, Jason," Piper had to use her charm speaking. "We have to go. Now." Jason seems to have become disoriented, turning to Piper and for a moment he looked like himself again but then he shook his head;

"Shopping first."

The princess beamed at him. "Then we have potions for resisting fire—"

"Got that covered," Leo said.

"Indeed?" The princess studied Leo's face more closely, much to my dismay. "You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen... but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or—"

"Wait. " Piper was still staring at the red vial. "Could that potion cure lost memory?" I jolted. Then I realized, Piper wanted it for Jason. She wanted Jason to get his memories back. I stopped for a second. He could remember everything. Even me. Though we've met couple of times when we were about two? Three years old?

The princess narrowed her eyes. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"

"How much?" Piper asked. I looked at her. The answer won't be '3$, why?', I knew that, and it seemed like McLean knew that either.

The princess got a faraway look in her eyes. "Well, now... The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me. " Her gaze drifted to Jason. "Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it."

"From your own dad?" Jason still looked half in a trance, but the idea seemed to bother him.

"Oh, don't worry," the princess said. "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong ..." The story was awfully familiar. I felt like I forgot a word, and had it at the tip of my tongue... The princess looked at Piper. "I'm sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him."

Piper started blushing. I clenched my fists. She was using Piper's feelings against her. This princess' story was starting to feel familiar. Something to with Jason and the Argonauts. The original Jason, so that would explain why she seemed so offended by his name. C'mon, me, try to remember...!

"At any rate," Her Highness continued, "My hero had to do many impossible tasks, and I'm not bragging when I say he couldn't have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And still, he cheated me of my payment."

"Cheated?" Jason frowned. I did so too the myth was there, lingering at the back of my mind. I had to remember...

"That's messed up," Leo said. I wanted to smack the back of his head again, like I did million times. Her Highness patted his cheek affectionately. That witch!

"I'm sure you don't need to worry, Leo. You seem honest. You would always pay a fair price, wouldn't you?"

Leo nodded. "What were we buying again? I'll take two. "

Piper broke in: "So, the vial, Your Highness—how much?" The princess assessed Piper's clothes, her face, her posture as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod. Then she looked at me as if using me as a bargaining chip.

"Would you give anything for it, my dear?" the princess asked. "I sense that you would. I looked over at Piper, who seemed to be going through the same thing as the boys. 

For a dreadful moment, I thought that I left here, alone, but then Piper spoke up;  
"No, I won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?" Just for a moment, her words seemed to have some effect. The boys looked confused.

"Leave?" Jason said.

"You mean... after shopping?" Leo asked.

"No. Leave now." I said. I knew that if Piper's charm speaking didn't work, then my regular voice won't cause any effect, but I still couldn't stay silent. I wanted to scream. I hate feeling helpless.

"Impressive," the princess said. "Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you children of Aphrodite, my dear?" She looked at Piper, and didn't even looked at me, completely ignoring me "Ah, yes—I should have seen it. No matter." In fact, it did matter. If not many people could stand her charm's, why didnt I did? I'm not complaining or something, i just wanted to know... "Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?"

"But the vial—"

"Now, boys. " She turned to Jason and Leo. Her voice was so much more powerful than Piper's, so full of confidence... "Would you like to see more?"

"Sure," Jason said.

"Okay," Leo said and I groaned quietly.

"Excellent," the princess said. "You'll need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area. "

Piper's hand moved to her dagger.

"The Bay Area?" I said. "Why the Bay Area?"

The princess smiled. "Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it?" Then she led us toward the escalators, Jason and Leo still looking excited to shop to their doom. As Piper cornered the princess, I stayed with Leo and Jason, still with a bow in my hand.

"You want them shopping for their deaths?" Piper demanded.

"Mmm. " The princess blew the dust off a display case of swords. "I'm a seer, my dear. I know your little secret. But we don't want to dwell on that, do we? The boys are having such fun." Leo laughed as he tried on a hat that seemed to be made from enchanted raccoon fur. Its ringed tail twitched, and its little legs wiggled frantically as Leo walked. Jason was ogling the men's sportswear. The more they looked around, the more childish they were acting. Believe me, I'm good with being childish.

I glared at the princess. "Who are you?"

"I told you, my dear. I'm the Princess of Colchis. "

"Where's Colchis?"

The princess's expression turned a little sad. "Where was Colchis, you mean. My father ruled the far shores of the Black Sea, as far to the east as a Greek ship could sail in those days. But Colchis is no more—lost eons ago."

"Eons?" Piper asked. The princess looked no more than fifty. "How old are you?" 

The princess laughed. "A lady should avoid asking or answering that question. Let's just say the, ah, immigration process to enter your country took quite a while. My patron finally brought me through. She made all this possible. " The princess swept her hand around the department store.

My mouth dried up for a second. "Your patron ..."

"Oh, yes. She doesn't bring just anyone through, mind you—only those who have special talents, such as me. And really, she insists on so little—a store entrance that must be underground so she can, ah, monitor my clientele; and a favor now and then. In exchange for a new life? Really, it was the best bargain I'd made in centuries. "

Run, run, run. Get out. Right now. But before I could even turn her thoughts into words, Jason called, "Hey, check it out!" From a rack labeled distressed clothing, he held up a purple T-shirt like the one he'd worn on the school field trip—except this shirt looked as if it had been clawed by tigers. Jason frowned. "Why does this look so familiar?"

"Jason, it's like yours..." Piper said. 

"Now we really have to leave. " I said, frowning.

"Nonsense," the princess said. "The boys aren't done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular—trade-ins from previous customers. It suits you. "

Leo picked up an orange Camp Half-Blood tee with a hole through the middle, as if it had been hit by a javelin. Next to that was a dented bronze breastplate pitted with corrosion—acid, maybe?—and a Roman toga slashed to pieces and stained with something that looked disturbingly like dried blood.

"Your Highness," Piper said, trying to control her nerves. "Why don't you tell the boys how you betrayed your family? I'm sure they'd like to hear that story." I hoped that Piper remembered the myth about this woman, because my mind still seemed blurry. 

"Yeah, I am too, right, boy's?" I asked, praying that it will work. Our words didn't have any effect on the princess, but the boys turned, suddenly interested;

"More story?" Leo asked.

"I like more story!" Jason agreed. If the situation wasn't as bad as it was right now, I would laugh at their attitude. The princess flashed Piper an irritated look. I was about to smile.

"Oh, one will do strange things for love, girls. You should know that. I fell for that young hero, in fact, because your mother Aphrodite had me under a spell. If it wasn't for her—but I can't hold a grudge against a goddess, can I?" The princess's tone made her meaning clear: I can take it out on you.

"But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis," i suddenly remembered. "Didn't he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised. "

The princess clearly wasn't enjoying this as she flashed Piper and me another furious look. "At first," Her Highness admitted, "It seemed he would keep his word. But even after I helped him steal my father's treasure, he still needed my help. As we fled, my brother's fleet came after us. His warships overtook us. He would have destroyed us, but I convinced my brother to come aboard our ship first and talk under a flag of truce. He trusted me. "

"And you killed your own brother," Piper said. The story was all coming back to me now, along with a name—an infamous name that began with the letter M. The M on the elevator doors. I already heard about some woman that used the word M as her name. And she almost turned my friends to statues.

"What?" Jason stirred. For a moment he looked almost like himself. "Killed your own—"

"No," the princess snapped. "Those stories are lies. It was my new husband and his men who killed my brother, though they couldn't have done it without my deception. They threw his body into the sea, and the pursuing fleet had to stop and search for it so they could give my brother a proper burial. This gave us time to getaway. All this, I did for my husband. And he forgot our bargain. He betrayed me in the end."

Jason still looked uncomfortable."What did he do?"

The princess held the sliced-up toga against Jason's chest as if measuring him for assassination. "Don't you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named for him. "

"Jason," Piper said. "The original Jason. But then you're —you should be dead!" Shit. I was right. I hate when I'm right about my enemies.

The princess smiled. "As I said, a new life in a new country. Certainly, I made mistakes. I turned my back on my own people. I was called a traitor, a thief, a liar, a murderess. But I acted out of love. " She turned to the boys and gave them a pitiful look, batting her eyelashes. Suddenly could hear the sorcery washing over them, taking control more firmly than ever, like a wave of sea water...

"You acted out of your own selfish reasons." I said, not being sure in my word's. "You were obsessed with Jason. You wanted him for yourself. That's not... love. "

The princess ignored me, as I expected, turning to the boys."Wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved ones, my dears?"

"Oh, sure," Jason said.

"Okay," Leo said.

"I will beat them up..." I mumbled.

"Guys!" Piper ground her teeth in frustration. "Don't you see who she is? Don't you—"

"Let's continue, shall we?" the princess said breezily. "I believe you wanted to talk about a price for the storm spirits—and your satyr. "

Leo got distracted on the second floor with the appliances. "No way," he said. "Is that an armored forge?" Before we could stop him, he hopped off the escalator and ran over to a big oval oven that looked like a barbecue on steroids.

I looked at Piper with worry "I'll get him, look over at Jason." I ran to Leo, putting my bow on my back. 

The princess said, "You have good taste. This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt Celestial bronze or Imperial gold. "

Jason flinched as if he recognized that term. "Imperial gold?"

The princess nodded. "Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket. To be properly forged, Imperial gold had to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break that blade..." She smiled pleasantly. "Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here—this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you'll be immediately trapped. "

Leo apparently took this as an order. He began walking toward it in a trance, "Leo...!" I catched his wrist, pulling him back.

He blinked. "How much for both?"

"Oh, the seat I could let you have for five great deeds. The forge, seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength—" She led Leo into the appliance section, giving him prices on various items.

I looked at Piper. She nodded and I started inching towards Leo, to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, and Piper had to try and reason with Jason. She pulled him aside and slapped him across the face, while I eventually smacked the back of Leo's head, as hard as I could, instantly closing his mouth with my hand. The princess was telling us something while looking at her sides, not even glaring at us.

"Ow," he muttered sleepily. "What was that for?"

"Snap out of it!" I insisted.

"What do you mean?"

"She's charmspeaking you. Can't you feel it?"

He knit his eyebrows. "She seems okay." I groaned.

"She's not okay! She shouldn't even be alive! She was married to Jason—the other Jason—three thousand years ago. She's a bad witch, ot-....!"

Jason shook his head uneasily. "She's not a witch. "

"She's worse! She's—"

"Children." I realized that we were back again, next to Piper and Jason. "If you please, we will now see what you came for. That is what you want, yes?"

I was awfully tempted to pull a bowstring and shoot her, but not in the middle of Her Highness's department store while the boys were under a spell. Not yet, at least. I couldn't even be sure they would take mine and Piper's side in a fight. I had to figure out a better plan.

We took the escalator down to the base of the fountain. For the first time, I noticed two large bronze sundials—each about the size of a trampoline—inlaid on the marble tile floor to the north and south of the fountain. The gilded oversize canary cages stood to the east and west, and the farthest one held the storm spirits. They were so densely packed, spinning around like a super-concentrated tornado, that I couldn't really tell how many there were—dozens, at least.

"Hey," Leo said, "Coach Hedge looks okay!"

They ran to the nearest canary cage. The old satyr seemed to have been petrified at the moment he was sucked into the sky. He was frozen mid-shout, his club raised over his head like he was ordering the gym class to drop and give him fifty.

"Yes," the princess said. "I always keep my wares in good condition. We can certainly barter for the storm spirits and the satyr. A package deal. If we come to terms, I'll even throw in the vial of healing potion, and you can go in peace. " She gave the me and Piper a shrewd look. "That's better than starting unpleasantness, isn't it, dears?"

Every part of me screamed don't trust her. If me and Piper was right about this lady's identity, nobody would be leaving in peace. A fair deal wasn't possible. It was all a trick. But Leo and Jason were looking at me and Piper, nodding urgently and mouthing, Say yes! We needed more to time to think.

"We can negotiate," Piper said. 

"We'll only accept a fair price," I added. 

"Totally!" Leo agreed. "Name your price. "

"Leo!" I groaned. Really, he's cool, handsome, and funny... But really?!

The princess chuckled. "Name my price? Perhaps not the best haggling strategy, my boy, but at least you know a thing's value. Freedom is very valuable indeed. You would ask me to release this satyr, who attacked my storm winds—" 

"Who attacked us," I crossed my hands on my chest. 

Her Highness shrugged. "As I said, my patron asks me for small favors from time to time. Sending the storm spirits to abduct you—that was one. I assure you it was nothing personal. And no harm was done, as you came here, in the end, of your own free will! At any rate, you want the satyr freed, and you want my storm spirits—who are very valuable servants, by the way—so you can hand them over to that tyrant Aeolus. Doesn't seem quite fair, does it? The price will be high. " 

"Who's your patron?" I asked, her eyes narrowed. 

The princess grinned. "You'd wish you never asked, dear." I could see that the boys were ready to offer anything, promise anything. Before they could speak, Piper played our last card. 

"You're Medea," she said. "You helped the original Jason steal the Golden Fleece. You're one of the evilest villains in Greek mythology. Jason, Leo—don't trust her. " I pulled my bow from my back. Her words seem to have affected the boys to some extent as Leo scratched his head and looked around like he was coming out of a dream. "What are we doing, again?" 

"Boys!" The princess spread her hands in a welcoming gesture. Her diamond jewelry glittered, and her painted fingers curled like blood-tipped claws. "It's true, I'm Medea. But I'm so misunderstood. Oh, Piper, Alexandria, my dears, you don't know what it was like for women in the old days. We had no power, no leverage. Often we couldn't even choose our own husbands. But I was different. I chose my own destiny by becoming a sorceress. Is that so wrong? I made a pact with Jason: my help to win the fleece, in exchange for his love. A fair deal. He became a famous hero! Without me, he would've died unknown on the shores of Colchis. " 

Jason—our Jason—scowled. "Then... you really did die three thousand years ago? You came back from the Underworld?" 

"Death no longer holds me, young hero," Medea said. "Thanks to my patron, I am flesh and blood again. " 

"You ... re-formed?" Leo blinked. "Like a monster?" 

Medea spread her fingers, and steam hissed from her nails, like water splashed on hot iron. "You have no idea what's happening, do you, my dears? It is so much worse than a stirring of monsters from Tartarus. My patron knows that giants and monsters are not her greatest servants. I am mortal. I learn from my mistakes. And now that I have returned to the living, I will not be cheated again. Now, here is my price for what you ask. " 

"Guys," I said. "The original Jason left Medea because she was crazy and bloodthirsty-... " 

"Lies!" Medea said. 

"Jason met another princess, on the way back from Colchis and he agreed to marry her and dump Madea," I continued, looking at Jason and Leo straight in the eyes. 

"After I bore him two children!" Medea said. "Still he broke his promise! I ask you, was that right?" 

Jason and Leo dutifully shook their heads, but me and Piper weren't through. "It may not have been right," Piper said, "but neither was Medea's revenge." 

"She murdered her own children to get back at Jason." I continued. "Then she pretended to be the new wife's friend and poisoned her, killed their unborn child." 

Medea snarled. "An invention to ruin my reputation! The people of the Corinth—that unruly mob—killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So yes, I sneaked back into the palace and poisoned his lovely new bride. It was only fair—a suitable price. " 

"You're insane," Piper said. 

"I am the victim!" Medea wailed. "I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when the one asking has the name of Jason!" 

"Jason dumped you because he realized you're crazy," I said. "And now I can see that he's right." I pulled the bowstring, ready to make a hole in her heart if necessary. "Leo, Jason, snap the hell out of it already!" The fountain turned bright red. 

Piper drew her dagger, but her hand was shaking almost too badly to hold it. "Jason, Leo—it's time to go. Now. " 

"Before you've closed the deal?" Medea asked. "What of your quest, boys? And my price is so easy. Did you know this fountain is magic? If a dead man were to be thrown into it, even if he was chopped to pieces, he would pop back out fully formed—stronger and more powerful than ever. " 

"Seriously?" Leo asked. 

"Leo, she's lying," Piper said. "She did that trick with somebody before—a king, I think. She convinced his daughters to cut him to pieces so he could come out of the water young and healthy again, but it just killed him!" 

"Ridiculous," Medea said, and they could feel the power charged in every syllable. "Leo, Jason—my price is so simple. Why don't you two fight? If you get injured or even killed, no problem. We'll just throw you into the fountain and you'll be better than ever. You do want to fight, don't you? You resent each other!" 

"No!" I screamed, lowering the bow. "You're best friends!"

"Guys, no!" Piper yelled. But they were already glaring at each other as if it was just dawning on them how they really felt. 

Leo scowled. "Jason's always the star. He always gets the attention and takes me for granted. " 

"Leo-...!" I started,but Jadon cutted me;

"You're annoying, Leo," Jason said. "You never take anything seriously. You can't even fix a dragon. "

"Jason, no!" I transformed my weapon back into the hair clip, bot caring about what Medea can do to me.I placed myself between the boys. "She's a witch! You're not enemies, you're best friends!" I didn't realized that I was crying. I didn't crying in front of people since the Titan's War, but now felt so lost, so helpless and so... Afraid.

"Guys, please, stop!" Piper pleaded, but both drew weapons—Jason his gold sword, and Leo a hammer from his tool belt. 

"Let them go, girl's," Medea urged. "I'm doing you a favor. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!"

I heard what Medea said, but I didn't listened. I had a strong headache, like the last time with the ground lady. Now I decided to fight it the other way; "Leo! Jason! Stop right now you two freaking idiots, or I'll stab you with my arrow's...!" I heard myself clearly, and I could swear that I saw some invisible wave coming from me. I fell on my knees, not lowing my hands. The boy's looked confused, staring at me, just like Piper.

"You work for Enceladus," I heard Piper turning back to Medea.

She laughed. "Serve a giant? No. But we all serve the same greater cause—a patron you cannot begin to challenge. Walk away, children of Aphrodite and Apollo. This does not have to be your deaths, too. Save yourselves, and her father can go free. Listen to me, girls." Medea plucked a diamond off her bracelet and threw it into a spray of water from the fountain. As it passed through the multicolored light, Medea said, "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the office of Tristan McLean." Medae called, making me open my eyes.

"Hello, Jane," Medea said. 

Jane hung up the phone calmly. "How can I help you, ma'am? Hello, Piper. " 

"You—" Piper looked so angry that I was afraid she'd start attacking now, which would be bad. Obviously, a simple word from Medae and Leo and Jason would fight. And bye-bye me.

"Yes, child," Medea said. "Your father's assistant. Quite easy to manipulate. An organized mind for a mortal, but incredibly weak. " 

"Thank you, ma'am," Jane said. She sounded like a robot. 

"Don't mention it," Medea said. "I just wanted to congratulate you, Jane. Getting Mr. McLean to leave town so suddenly, take his jet to Oakland without alerting the press or the police—well done! No one seems to know where he's gone. And telling him his daughter's life was on the line—that was a nice touch to get his cooperation. " 

"Yes," Jane agreed in a bland tone as if she were sleepwalking. "He was quite cooperative when he believed Piper was in danger. " 

"What-....?" I tried to speak, but my voice sounded hoarsely.

"I may have new orders for you, Jane," Medea said. "If the girl cooperates, it may be time for Mr. McLean to come home. Would you arrange a suitable cover story for his absence, just in case? And I imagine the poor man will need some time in a psychiatric hospital. " 

"Yes, ma'am. I will stand by. " 

The image faded, and Medea turned to Piper. "There, you see?" I wanted to intervene but I knew that this was Piper's fight. And also, she didn't feel very safe with taking my attention off of the boys. 

"You lured my dad into a trap," Piper said. "You helped the giant—" 

"Oh, please, dear. You'll work yourself into a fit! I've been preparing for this war for years, even before I was brought back to life. I'm a seer, as I said. I can tell the future as well as your little oracle. Years ago, still suffering in the Fields of Punishment, I had a vision of the seven in your so-called Great Prophecy. I saw your friend Leo here and saw that he would be an important enemy someday. I stirred the consciousness of my patron, gave her this information, and she managed to wake just a little—just enough to visit him. " 

"Leo's mother," I said, weakly. "Leo, listen to this... She helped get your mother killed...!" 

"Uh-huh," Leo mumbled, in a daze. He frowned at his hammer. "So... I just attack Jason? That's okay?" 

"Perfectly safe," Medea promised. "And Jason, strike him hard. Show me you are worthy of your namesake. "

"No!" Piper ordered. We both knew it was her last chance. I stood up on my feat, stopping my legs from shivering. I had to make them safe. "Jason, Leo—she's tricking you. Put down your weapons..." 

The sorceress rolled her eyes. "Please, girl. You're no match for me. I trained with my aunt, the immortal Circe. I can drive men mad or heal them with my voice. What hope do these puny young heroes have against me? Now, boys, kill each other!" 

"I hate to do this..." I closed my eyes and snapped both my fingers. All the sun light that was in the room started spinning in front of Leo and Jason, not letting them make a step forward. They looked at each other uncertainly, and I felt the sorceress's spell dissipate.

“Alex, I-... I almost stabbed you...” Jason blinked perplexedly.

“What did you say about my mother...?” Leo frowned, then turned to Medea. “You... you work for the earthy lady. You sent her to the factory floor." He raised his hand hand. “Ma'am, I have a three-pound hammer in my hand, that's for your soul.”

"Bah!" Medea sneered. "I'll simply collect payment another way. " Medae pressed one of the mosaic tiles on the floor, and the building rumbled. I transformed my hair clip back to my bow and fired an arroq at Medae, but she dissolved into smoke and reappeared at the base of the escalator. 

"You're slow, hero!" She laughed. "Take your frustration out on my pets!" 

Before I could do even a step forward, the giant bronze sundials at either end of the fountain swung open. Two snarling gold beasts—flesh-and-blood winged dragons—crawled out from the pits below. Each was the size of a camper van, maybe not large compared to Festus, but large enough. The dragons spread their wings and hissed. I could feel the heat coming off their glittering skin. One turned his angry orange eyes on Piper. 

"Piper! Don't look them in the eye!" I warned. "They'll paralyze you. " 

"Indeed!" Medea was leisurely riding the escalator up, leaning against the handrail as she watched the fun. "These two dears have been with me a long time—sun dragons, you know, gifts from my grandfather Helios. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth, and now they will be your destruction. Ta-ta!"

I cursed and ran towards the dragon. Sun dragons. Huh, how ironic... Why did Helio's had to give this gift her?! I fired an arrow and it was zooming through the air. Before the dragon could move, my arrow had buried itself in one of it's eyes. The dragons lunged, but in the wrong direction. Leo, Jason and I rushed to them. We acted as a team that for many years acted in concert. I had not experienced such adrenaline since the war... I jumped on one of the dragon's paw and climbed on his neck while Leo blew his alarming whistle, and Jason screamed, distracting the dragons. 

"Shit..." I groaned once I saw that Medae was trying to get away, and took off after her. 

"I'm after her!" Piper shouted to me.

Medea was running towards the potions section. Of course. Potions. Professor Snape would be proud.

"Jason, Al help!" I turned and saw that one of the dragons pressed Leo to the floor. He bared his fangs and was ready to launch them.

I rushed to Leo; "Hey, you, bronze trash can!" I shouted and the dragon turned to her. And then, a loud crash echoed around. Festus the bronze dragon dropped into the department store. He hurtled into the fray, snatching up a sun dragon in each claw. I really appreciated how big and strong our metal friend was. Even though he was flying higher than I'd like. Festus flew halfway up the atrium, then hurled the sun dragons into the pits they'd come from. Jason raced to the fountain and pressed the marble tile, closing the sundials. They shuddered as the dragons banged against them, trying to get out, but for the moment they were contained. 

We sat on Festus leaving a place behind me for Piper. The bronze dragon flung its mighty wings, grabbed the claws of the satyr and the perfume of the thunder with its claws and began to rise up. The building shook. Flames fluttered along the walls and smoke spread, the railing melted. The air was becoming unbearably caustic. And then I saw Piper jump over the railing. She stayed in the air for only a second, and then Jason and I grabbed her and put her on the dragon’s back.

When we flew far enough, Leo eventually stopped turning around. "No-no-no," I I was moving and mumbling things to myself. "High. Too high." My ADHD and adrenaline wasn't a good combination. After couple of minutes when I tried to act normal and save strength, I couldn't help myself but turn to Piper, finishing healing her anclkle.

"You didn't seemed so energetic back then..." said Piper.

"That was before you eventually killed this witch," I smiled. "But I think the thing that made me feel weak, was my yelling... This one that caused Leo and Jason to stop." I looked at the sky.

"It was... Sort of charm speaking, I think."

"What?!" I looked at her. "It cannot be, I'm not the daughter of Aphrodite or something..."

"But you're a child of Apollo. I think that he's pretty good at singing and effecting people with it." 

"Yeah, but I'm not my dad," I shrugged. "And I didn't sang those word's-..."

"The thing is, Al," said Piper, "That you did. You were singing."

"Hey, girl's, could you... Uh... Explain what the hell happened back there...?"

"Oh, you and Jason were about to kill each other." I said, swallowing my sandwich.

"Alex built an fence from solid light so you won't." Piper explained. 

"Piper fough with her in this charm speaking war and won!" 

"And Alex charm spoke too-... I mean, charm sang."

"You should've seen her," I said with an echo. Oh no. It was Piper. I smiled at her.

"No, thanks." Jason whined. "My had still hurts..."


	7. Chapter 7

Leo steered the dragon toward the southwest.  
"Good job, Festus. " He patted the dragon's metal hide. "You did awesome. " The dragon shuddered. Gears popped and clicked in his neck. "I'll give you a tune-up next time we land," Leo promised. "You've earned some motor oil and Tabasco sauce. " Festus whirled his teeth.

"Hey, Torch." I patted Leo's back. "How are you there?"

“Like a brainwashed zombie.” I could hear embarrassment in his voice. "Thank you for saving us there, Sunshine. If you and Piper hadn’t taken us out of her spell..."

"Hey, don’t think about it." I smiled. "That's what friends for. To save eachother's asses "

"Well, I owe you again." Leo tried for a grin, but even that was failing. I knew he felt terrible about how easily Medea had set him against his best friend. And she helped kill his mom. 

"We're going to have to put down soon," Leo warned them. "Couple more hours, maybe, to make sure Medea's not following us. I don't think Festus can fly much longer than that. "

"Yeah," Piper agreed. "Coach Hedge probably wants to get out of his canary cage, too. The question is—where are we going?"

"At the Bay Area," I closed my eyes, trying to remember what exactly Medea what saying. "Didn't Medea say something about... Oakland...?"

Nobody responded as Piper let her head hang.

"Piper's dad," Jason put in. "Something's happened to your dad, right? He got lured into some kind of trap."

Piper let out a shaky breath. "Look, Medea said all three of you would die in the Bay Area. And besides… even if we went there, the Bay Area is huge! First we need to find Aeolus and drop off the storm spirits. Boreas said Aeolus was the only one who could tell us exactly where to go. "

I nodded. "You're right, I think... Aeolus is the only thing we've got right now. We still have no idea where Hera is, and the Solstice is nearing."

Leo grunted. "So how do we find Aeolus?"

Jason leaned forward. "You mean you don't see it?" He pointed at something ahead of them. I couldn't see anything except clouds and the distant flickering lights of a few towns glowing in the dusk. I had my father's hearing, not vision.

"What?" Leo asked.

"That… whatever it is," Jason said. "In the air. " I glanced back and found that Piper looked confused as well.

"Right," Leo said. "Could you be more specific on the 'whatever-it-is' part?"

"Like a vapor trail," Jason said. "Except it's glowing. Really faint, but it's definitely there. We've been following it since Chicago, so I figured you saw it. "

Leo shook his head. "Maybe Festus can sense it. You think Aeolus made it?"

"Well, it's a magic trail in the wind," Jason said. "Aeolus is the wind god. I think he knows we've got prisoners for him. He's telling us where to fly. "

"Or it's another trap," Piper said with a broken tone. I sighed. We didn't really had a choice...

"Pipes, you all right?" Leo asked.

"I told you, don't call me that." The girl muttered. 

"Okay, fine. You don't like any of the names I make up for you. But if your dad's in trouble and we can help—"

"You can't," she said, her voice getting shakier. "Look, I'm tired. If you don't mind …"

She leaned back against Jason and closed her eyes. All right, I thought. We flew in silence for a while. Festus seemed to know where we were going. He kept his course, gently curving toward the southwest and hopefully Aeolus's fortress. My eyes began to close, and I leaned a little forward, so my head was resting on Leo's back. I heard how he sighed, his shoulders slumped, and his fingers weren't as fast as always.

"Catch a few Z's," Jason said. "It's cool. Hand me the reins. "

"Nah, I'm okay—"

"Leo," I mumbled, half asleep, "You're not a machine. And Jason can see the vapor trail. Take a nap." When I said that my arm's was already around Leo's torso, and I was snoring into his back.

Leo ywned. "All right. Maybe just…" He didn't finish the sentence before slumping forward against the dragon's neck.

We were... Uh, well... Screaming for our lives when I woke up. We were spiraling to the ground in a free fall, still on the dragon's back, but Festus's hide was cold. His ruby eyes were dim.

"Not again!" Leo yelled. "You can't fall again!"

I could barely hold on to the dragon's metal scales. My hands and fingers froze in fear. The wind stung my eyes, but I could see that Leo had managed to pull open the panel on the dragon's neck. He toggled the switches. He tugged the wires. The dragon's wings flapped once, but suddenly, she caught a whiff of burning bronze. I didn't have the slightest idea what was going on. I saw the lights of a city below us—just flashes in the dark as they plummeted in circles. Well, hello Hades?

"Jason!" Leo screamed. "Take the girls and fly out of here!"

"What?!"

"We need to lighten the load! I might be able to reboot Festus, but he's carrying too much weight!"

That didn't do anything to ease my fear, but somehow I pushed it to the back of my thoughts. "What about you?" I yelled. "If you can't reboot him—"

"I'll be fine," Leo yelled. "Just follow me to the ground. Go!"

"You're going to get yourself killed!"

"You said you trust me, Sunshine!"

"I said that it depends!" I was about to yell something again, but Jason had grabbed me around the waist. In a flash we were gone—shooting into the air. After a minute or so I could hear Festus groan — metal creaking inside his neck. 

"Good!" I heard Leo's yell. "Come on, big boy. Come on!" The ground was getting closer, and closer. We needed to land somewhere. There was a big river—no. Not good for a fire-breathing dragon. We'd never get Festus out from the bottom if he sank, especially in freezing temperatures. Then, on the riverbanks, I spotted a white mansion with a huge snowy lawn inside a tall brick perimeter fence—like some rich person's private compound, all of it blazing with light. A perfect landing field. I yelled to Leo, and pointed at it. He nodded, did his best to steer the dragon toward it, and Festus seemed to come back to life.

"Hold on," Jason screamed, his arm tightening around my waist and his face forming agony as he desperately tried to control the winds. 

Jason couldn't take two bodies with the air so thick so our landing was shaky and rough. My breathing was heavy, my body was shaking from the adrenaline and fear, but I still pulled myself up from the snow, standing up as I tried to catch my breath. 

"Pipes? Jason?" I looked around and spotted the guy. I ran to him, offering my hand. "You're alright?"

"Maybe," he muttered as he accepted my outstretched hand. I looked around to see that they were in someone's backyard. Thank gods the snow softened their fall a bit. In front of them is a huge white mansion with a small lake just beside it. 

"Piper?" I spotted the girl too, and ran to her. For a minute my heart dropped thinking that something bad happened to her, but Piper turned to me and gave me a smile. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she said, standing up as well. "What about you-"

Before Piper can even finish her sentence, a loud crash came above them and the three had to watch as Festus the dragon tumbled across the sky with Leo faithfully holding on to it. Then Festus crashed to a thousand smaller pieces, its head rolling off to the side and Leo fell roughly into the snow. 

"No, no, no..." I mumbled as I saw the smoke Festus was emitting. But he helped us so much... And he meant so much to Leo... And yeah, I could maybe curse at him couple of times because of my fear of heights, but-... He didn't deserved it...

I ran towards Leo, to see him laying unconscious on the snowy ground. Grease, snow and mud covered him, but there doesn't seem to be any injuries except the few scrapes and scratches. "Leo," I started shaking him, fear coming to my heart. "Wake up, Leo." He didn't answer. "Wake up-wake up-wake up!" I cried, hitting the snow with my fist. It seems to have worked as Leo's eyes started to flutter open. When he came to his senses, Jason and Piper next to him, and I had my right hand on his shoulder. He was lying in the snow. He spit a clump of frozen grass out of his mouth.

"Where—"

"Lie still. " Piper had tears in her eyes. "You rolled pretty hard when—when Festus—"

"Where is he?" Leo instantly tried to stand up, but I tried to keep him down, not realising that my own tears was falling to my cheeks. They'd landed inside the compound. Something had happened on the way in—gunfire?

"Seriously, Leo," Jason said. "You could be hurt. You shouldn't—" but Leo didn't listen.

Leo pushed himself to his feet. Then his head turned towards the wreckage. Festus dropped the big canary cages as he came over the fence, because they'd rolled in different directions and landed on their sides, perfectly undamaged. Festus hadn't been so lucky. The dragon had disintegrated. His limbs were scattered across the lawn. His tail hung on the fence. The main section of his body had plowed a trench twenty feet wide and fifty feet long across the mansion's yard before breaking apart. What remained of his hide was a charred, smoking pile of scraps. Only his neck and head were somewhat intact, resting across a row of frozen rosebushes like a pillow.

"No," Leo sobbed. He ran to the dragon's head and stroked its snout. The dragon's eyes flickered weakly. Oil leaked out of his ear. "You can't go," Leo pleaded. "You're the best thing I ever fixed." The dragon's head whirred its gears, as if it were purring. I was standing on my knees, but now I was standing up, trying to hold my tears, going towards Leo. I stood next to him. He closed his eyes, and silent tears streamed down his face. "It's not fair," he said. The dragon clicked. A long click, and two short ones. Morse code. I tried to learn it once, from Charles Bekendorf, but I knew only one word;

\--. --- --- -.. -... -.-- .

Leo stared at the dragon, like they were having a telepathic conversation. "Yeah," Leo said. "I understand. I will. I promise." The dragon's eyes went dark. 

Festus was gone. 

Leo cried and I landed near him on the knees, wrapping him in my arms. I didn't say anything, because word's wouldn't help here. I simply let Leo sob on my shoulder while holding on to me tightly like I was the only thing that was keeping him grounded. From what I figured out, Leo has been alone most of his life. Perhaps he never had another person to trust and now his greatest creation was gone. I was crying too. Festus was like an innocent child.

Finally Jason said, "I'm so sorry, man. What did you promise Festus?"

Leo sniffled. He opened the dragon's head panel, just to be sure, but the control disk was cracked and burned beyond repair. "Something my dad told me," Leo said. "Everything can be reused. "

"Your dad talked to you?" Jason asked. "When was this?"

Leo didn't answer. He worked and tugged at the dragon's neck hinges until the head was detached. It weighed about a hundred pounds, but Leo managed to hold it in his arms. He looked up at the starry sky and said, "Take him back to the bunker, Dad. Please, until I can reuse him. I've never asked you for anything. "

The wind picked up, and the dragon's head floated out of Leo's arms like it weighed nothing. It flew into the sky and disappeared.

Piper looked at him in amazement. "He answered you?"

"I had a dream," Leo managed. "Tell you later. "

Leo looked like a broken machine himself—like someone had removed one little part of him, and now he'd never be complete. He might move, he might talk, he might keep going and do his job. But he'd always be off balance, never calibrated exactly right. I looked around. The large white mansion glowed in the center of the grounds. Tall brick walls with lights and security cameras surrounded the perimeter, but now she could see just how well those walls were defended.

"Where are we?" Leo asked. "I mean, what city?"

"Omaha, Nebraska," Jason said. "I saw a billboard as we flew in. But I don't know what this mansion is."

"Lasers," Leo said. He picked up a piece of dragon wreckage and threw it toward the top of the fence. Immediately a turret popped up from the brick wall and a beam of pure heat incinerated the bronze plating to ashes.

Jason whistled. "Some defense system. How are we even alive?"

"Festus," Leo said miserably. "He took the fire. The lasers sliced him to bits as he came in so they didn't focus on you. I led him into a death trap. "

"You couldn't have known," Piper said. "He saved our lives again. "

"But what now?" Jason said. "The main gates are locked, and I'm guessing I can't fly us out of here without getting shot down. "

Leo looked up the walkway at the big white mansion. "Since we can't go out, we'll have to go in. "

"Terrible idea..." I said, but was the first one to make a step forward. 

And then Leo catched my hand;   
"Don't. Move."

We would've died five times on the way to the front door if not for Leo. The first was the motion-activated trapdoor on the sidewalk, then the lasers on the steps, then the nerve gas dispenser on the porch railing, the pressure-sensitive poison spikes in the welcome mat, and of course the exploding doorbell. Leo deactivated all of them. It was like he could smell the traps, and he picked just the right tool out of his belt to disable them.

"You're amazing, Leo," I said, rubbing his shoulder.

Leo scowled as he examined the front door lock. "Yeah, amazing," he said. "Can't fix a dragon right, but I'm amazing. "

"Leo, I—"

"Front door's already unlocked," Leo announced.

Piper stared at the door in disbelief. "It is? All those traps, and the door's unlocked?"

"He thought that no one will get pass these traps, so he didn't bother with the door," I mumbled. 

Leo opened the door and quickly stepped inside, obviously escaping whatever conversation I was planning. Before I could follow, Piper caught my arm. "He's going to need some time to get over Festus. Don't take it personally. "

"Yeah," I said, breathing deeply. "Yeah, okay. "

"Piper," Jason said, "I know I was in a daze back in Chicago, but that stuff about your dad—if he's in trouble, I want to help. I don't care if it's a trap or not. "

Her eyes looked shattered, like someone had smashed a hammer through them, and she couldn't find all the pieces. "Jason, you don't know what you're saying. Please—don't make me feel worse. Come on. We should stick together. " She ducked inside.

"Together," Jason said it to himself sounding sadly, but I still heard him. 

I squeezed his shoulder, making him turn to me to see the comforting smile I had;  
"It was a hard day, cous'. All of us need to rest and clean our thoughts."

The first impression of the house: Dark. From the echo of their footsteps, I could tell the entry hall was enormous, even bigger than Boreas's penthouse; but the only illumination came from the yard lights outside. A faint glow peeked through the breaks in the thick velvet curtains. The windows rose about ten feet tall. Spaced between them along the walls were life-size metal statues. As my eyes adjusted to a nocturnal environment, I saw sofas arranged in a U in the middle of the room, with a central coffee table and one large chair at the far end. A massive chandelier glinted overhead. Along the back wall stood a row of closed doors.

"Where's the light switch?" Jason's voice echoed alarmingly through the room.

"Don't see one," Leo said.

"Fire?" Piper suggested.

Leo held out his hand, but nothing happened. "It's not working. "

"Your fire is out? Why?" Piper asked.

"Well, if I knew that—"

"Okay, okay," Piper said. "What do we do—explore?"

Leo shook his head. "After all those traps outside? Bad idea. "

"And we can barely see anything." I noted

"We're not separating again—not like in Detroit. " Jason decided. 

"Oh, thank you for reminding me of the Cyclopes. " Piper's voice quavered. "I needed that. "

"It's a few hours until dawn," Jason guessed. "Too cold to wait outside. Let's bring the cages in and make camp in this room. Wait for daylight; then we can decide what to do. "

"Or use my power's to knock out some enemies..." I shrugged.

We rolled in the cages with Coach Hedge and the storm spirits, then settled in. Thankfully, Leo didn't find any poison throw pillows or electric whoopee cushions on the sofas. Leo didn't seem in the mood to make more tacos. Besides, we had no fire, so we settled for cold rations. As we ate, I studied the metal statues along the walls. They looked like Greek gods or heroes. After the stories about Medusa, I didn't thought it was a good sign. The big chair at the other end of the table looked like a throne. None of us tried to sit in it.

The canary cages didn't make the place any less creepy. The storm spirits kept churning in their prison, hissing and spinning, and I got the uncomfortable feeling they were watching Jason. She could sense their hatred for the children of Zeus—the lord of the sky who'd ordered Aeolus to imprison their kind. The venti would like nothing better than to tear Jason apart.

As for Coach Hedge, he was still frozen mid-shout, his cudgel raised. Leo was working on the cage, trying to open it with various tools, but the lock seemed to be giving him a hard time. I decided not to sit next to him in case Hedge suddenly unfroze and went into ninja goat mode. Believe me, you don't want to see this shit.

Despite how weird I felt, once my stomach was full, I started to take a nap. The couches were a little too comfortable and I didn't even knew how exhausted I was. Piper had already curled up on the other sofa. I wondered if she was really asleep or dodging a conversation about her dad. Whatever Medea had meant in Chicago, about Piper getting her dad back if she cooperated—it didn't sound good. And we were running out of time. If she had her days straight, this was early morning of December 20. Which meant tomorrow was the winter solstice...

"Ahhhggggggh!" 

I jumped to my feet. The sunlight that now bathed the room was giving me the hope for bright future, but the screaming satyr ruined it.

"Coach is awake," Leo said, and I thought for a second that he did this on purpose, to wake me up. Gleeson Hedge was capering around on his furry hindquarters, swinging his club and yelling, "Die!" as he smashed the tea set, whacked the sofas, and charged at the throne. 

"Coach!" Jason yelled. 

Hedge turned, breathing hard. His eyes were so wild, that I feared he might attack Jason. "You're the new kid," Hedge said, lowering his club. "Jason. " He looked at Leo, then Piper who'd apparently also just woken up - her hair looked like it had become a nest for a friendly hamster - and he finally looked at me.

"Lambraques," the coach said. "What's going on? We were at the Grand Canyon. The Anemoi thuellai were attacking and—" He zeroed in on the storm spirit cage, and his eyes went back to DEFCON 1. "Die!" 

"Whoa, Coach!" Leo stepped in his path, which was pretty brave, even though Hedge was six inches shorter. "It's okay. They're locked up. We just sprang you from the other cage. " 

"Cage? Cage? What's going on? Just because I'm a satyr doesn't mean I can't have you doing plank push-ups, Valdez!" 

"Hedge, attention please. You saved us at the Grand Canyon and were totally brave. " 

"Of course I was!" 

"Annabeth and Butch took us to Camp Half-Blood. We thought we'd lost you. Then we got word the storm spirits had taken you back to their—um, operator, Medea. " 

"That witch! Wait—that's impossible. She's mortal. She's dead. " 

"Yeah, well," I shrugged, "Somehow she got not dead anymore. " 

Hedge nodded, his eyes narrowing. "So! You were sent on a dangerous quest to rescue me. Excellent!" 

"Um. " Piper got to her feet, holding out her hands so Coach Hedge wouldn't attack her. "Actually, Glee—can I still call you Coach Hedge? Gleeson seems wrong. We're on a quest for something else. We kind of found you by accident. " 

"Oh. " The coach's spirits seemed to deflate, but only for a second. Then his eyes lit up again. "But there are no accidents! Not on quests. This was meant to happen! So, this is the witch's lair, eh? Why is everything gold?" 

At that, I looked around. Realizing that Hedge was right. All around us was glistening gold— the statues, the tea set Hedge had smashed, the throne chair. Even the curtains—which is just ridiculous. From the way, the other three caught their breath, she guessed they hadn't noticed it either. 

"Nice," Leo said. "No wonder they got so much security. " 

"This isn't—" Piper stammered. "This isn't Medea's place, Coach. It's some rich person's mansion in Omaha. We got away from Medea and crash-landed here. " 

"It's destiny, cupcakes!" Hedge insisted. "I'm meant to protect you. What's the quest?" 

Before anyone can answer the faun, a door opened at the far end of the room and a pudgy man in a white bathrobe stepped out with a golden toothbrush in his mouth. He had a white beard and one of those long, old-fashioned sleeping caps pressed down over his white hair. He froze when he saw them, and the toothbrush fell out of his mouth. 

A moment, and a realization who he was and why there were so many golds came to my mind. "Σκατά... (Shit)" I mumbled, raising my eyebrows.

He glanced into the room behind him and called, "Son? Lit, come out here, please. There are strange people in the throne room. " 

Coach Hedge did the obvious thing. He raised his club and shouted, "Die!" 

I quickly jumped to her feet and helped the other three to hold him back. I activated my bow and trapped him inside her arms, not allowing him to make any more movements. 

"Whoa, Coach!" Jason said. "Bring it down a few notches. " 

Once he was calm enough, I allowed him to get free. A younger man charged into the room. I guessed he must be Lit, the old guy's son. He was dressed in pajama pants with a sleeveless T-shirt that said corn huskers, and he held a sword that looked like it could husk a lot of things besides corn. His ripped arms were covered in scars, and his face, framed by curly dark hair, would've been handsome if it wasn't also sliced up. Lit immediately zeroed in on Jason like he was the biggest threat and stalked toward him, swinging his sword overhead.

"Hold on!" Piper stepped forward, trying for her best calming charming voice. "This is just a misunderstanding! Everything's fine. " 

"Uh-huh," I nodded. "We don't mean any harm." then I realized I still had my bow in my hand, and I quickly transformed it back to the hair clip.

Lit stopped in his tracks, but he still looked wary. It didn't help that Hedge was screaming,   
"I'll get them! Don't worry!" 

"Hedge," I groaned, "Shush. They may be nice." 

"Thank you!" said the old man in the bathrobe. "Now, who are you, and why are you here?" 

"Let's all put our weapons down," Piper said. "Coach, you first. " 

Hedge clenched his jaw. "Just one thwack?" 

"No," Piper said. 

"What about a compromise? I'll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I'll apologize. " 

"No!" Piper insisted. 

"Meh. " Coach Hedge lowered his club. 

Piper gave Lit a friendly sorry-about-that smile. Even with her hair messed up and wearing two-day-old clothes, she looked cute, and I could see that Jason looked a little jealous while she was giving Lit that smile. 

Lit huffed and sheathed his sword. "You speak well, girl—fortunately for your friends, or I would've run them through. " 

"Appreciate it," Leo said. "I try not to get run through before lunchtime. " 

The old man in the bathrobe sighed, kicking the teapot that Coach Hedge had smashed. "Well, since you're here. Please, sit down. " 

Lit frowned. "Your Majesty—" 

"No, no, it's fine, Lit," the old man said. "New land, new customs. They may sit in my presence. After all, they've seen me in my nightclothes. No sense of observing formalities. " He did his best to smile, though it looked a little forced. "Welcome to my humble home. I am King Midas. " 

Shit. Why am I always right. The dirt lady is bringing more people back to life. And that's a problem. I don't want to see a real Hitler walking on earth. Gor example.

"Midas? Impossible," said Coach Hedge. "He died. " 

"Ahem... Medea... Ahem..." I 'coughed', catching Leo's eye's. He grinned at me, and my heart skipped a beat, while the stomach was filled with sunny butterflies. He grinned at me. He's not really mad at me. After I realized that, my cheeks turned a bit pink.

We were sitting on the sofas now, while the king reclined on his throne. Tricky to do that in a bathrobe, and I kept worrying the old guy would forget and uncross his legs. Hopefully, he was wearing golden boxers under there. Lit stood behind the throne, both hands on his sword, glancing at Piper and me while flexing his muscular arms. 

"Oh, look at me, I am here with all my muscle's after thousands of years..." I twitched my voice, while keeping a calm face. "And why?" I made a moment of silence like in a commercials; "Young death. Dye young, and you won't loose your muscles." Leo grunted with a laugh, but tried yo hide it.

Piper sat forward. "What our satyr friend means, Your Majesty is that you're the second mortal we've met who should be—sorry—dead. King Midas lived thousands of years ago. " 

"Interesting. " The king gazed out the windows at the brilliant blue skies and the winter sunlight. In the distance, downtown Omaha looked like a cluster of children's blocks —way too clean and small for a regular city. "You know," the king said, "I think I was a bit dead for a while. It's strange. It seems like a dream, doesn't it, Lit?" 

"A very long dream, Your Majesty. " 

"And yet, now we're here. I'm enjoying myself very much. I like being alive better. " 

"But how?" Piper asked. "You didn't happen to have a … patron?" 

Midas hesitated, but there was a sly twinkle in his eyes. "Does it matter, my dear?" 

"We could kill them again," Hedge suggested. 

"Coach, not helping," Jason said. "Why don't you go outside and stand guard?" 

Leo coughed. "Is that safe? They've got some serious security. " 

"Oh, yes," the king said. "Sorry about that. But it's lovely stuff, isn't it? Amazing what gold can still buy. Such excellent toys you have in this country!" 

He fished a remote control out of his bathrobe pocket and pressed a few buttons—a passcode, I guessed. 

"There," Midas said. "Safe to go out now. " 

"That's actually kinda cool," Leo said.

Coach Hedge grunted. "Fine. But if you need me…" He winked at Jason meaningfully. Then he pointed at himself, pointed two fingers at their hosts, and sliced a finger across his throat. Very subtle sign language. 

I burst out laughing quitely. Lit glared at me - for some reason making Leo frown - while his eyes was opened widely, while I was laughing. He looked at me like he never saw someone laughing.

"Yeah, thanks," Jason said. 

After the satyr left, Piper tried another diplomatic smile. "So… you don't know how you got here?" 

"Oh, well, yes. Sort of," the king said. He frowned at Lit. "Why did we pick Omaha, again? I know it wasn't the weather. " 

"The oracle," Lit said. What what what? The oracle? 

"Yes! I was told there was an oracle in Omaha." The king shrugged. "Apparently I was mistaken. But this is a rather nice house, isn't it? Lit—it's short for Lityerses, by the way—horrible name, but his mother insisted—Lit has plenty of wide-open space to practice his swordplay. He has quite a reputation for that. They called him the Reaper of Men back in the old days. " 

Huh. Huh. Huh.

"Oh. " Piper tried to sound enthusiastic. "How nice. " 

Lit's smile was more of a cruel sneer. 

"So," Jason said. "All this gold—" 

The king's eyes lit up. "Are you here for gold, my boy? Please, take a brochure!" 

I looked at the brochures on the coffee table. The title said GOLD: Invest for Eternity. 

"Um, you sell gold?" Jason asked. 

"No, no," the king said. "I make it. In uncertain times like these, gold is the wisest investment, don't you think? Governments fall. The dead rise. Giants attack Olympus. But gold retains its value!" 

Leo frowned. "I've seen that commercial." 

"Oh, don't be fooled by cheap imitators!" the king said. "I assure you, I can beat any price for a serious investor. I can make a wide assortment of gold items at a moment's notice. " 

"But …" I turned to him in confusion, remembering the Myth about Midas. "Didn't you gave up the golden touch?" 

The king looked astonished. "Gave it up?" 

"Yes," Piper said. "You got it from some god—" 

"Dionysus," the king agreed. "I'd rescued one of his satyrs, and in return, the god granted me one wish. I chose the golden touch. " 

"But you accidentally turned your own daughter to gold," Piper remembered. "And you realized how greedy you'd been. So you repented. " 

"Repented!" King Midas looked at Lit incredulously. "You see, son? You're away for a few thousand years, and the story gets twisted all around. My dear girl, did those stories ever say I'd lost my magic touch?" 

"Well, I guess not. They just said you learned how to reverse it with running water, and you brought your daughter back to life. " 

"That's all true. Sometimes I still have to reverse my touch. There's no running water in the house because I don't want accidents"—he gestured to his statues—"but we chose to live next to a river just in case. Occasionally, I'll forget and pat Lit on the back—" 

Lit retreated a few steps. "I hate that. " 

"I told you I was sorry, son. At any rate, gold is wonderful. Why would I give it up?" 

"Uh well…" Piper looked him right in the eye's. "Isn't that the point of the story? That you learned your lesson?" 

Midas laughed. "My dear, may I see your backpack for a moment? Toss it here. " 

Piper hesitated, but she didn't look eager to offend the king. She dumped everything out of the pack and tossed it to Midas. As soon as he caught it, the pack turned to gold, like frost spreading across the fabric. It still looked flexible and soft, but definitely gold. The king tossed it back. 

"As you see, I can still turn anything to gold," Midas said. "That pack is magic now, as well. Go ahead—put your little storm spirit enemies in there. " 

"Seriously?" Leo was suddenly interested. He took the bag from Piper and held it up to the cage. As soon as he unzipped the backpack, the winds stirred and howled in protest. The cage bars shuddered. The door of the prison flew open and the winds got vacuumed straight into the pack. Leo zipped it shut and grinned. "Gotta admit. That's cool. " 

"You see?" Midas said. "My golden touch a curse? Please. I didn't learn any lesson, and life isn't a story, girl. Honestly, my daughter Zoe was much more pleasant as a gold statue. " 

I shivered. His daughter Zoe. It wasn't THE Zoe that I knew, but... These words made me feel strange, like I should be careful.

"She talked a lot," Lit offered. 

"Exactly! And so I turned her back to gold. " Midas pointed. There in the corner was a golden statue of a girl with a shocked expression as if she were thinking, 'Dad!'

"That's horrible!" Piper said. 

"Nonsense. She doesn't mind. Besides, if I'd learned my lesson, would I have gotten these?" 

Midas pulled off his oversize sleeping cap and I split out a little 'ohh'. Midas had long fuzzy gray ears sticking up from his white hair—like Bugs Bunny's, but they weren't bunny ears. They were donkey ears.

"Oh, wow," Leo said. "I didn't need to see that."

"Terrible, isn't it?" Midas sighed. "A few years after the golden touch incident, I judged a music contest between Apollo and Pan, and I declared Pan the winner. Apollo, sore loser, said I must have the ears of an ass, and voilà." Well, though I know that my father's haiku are terrible, but there's one rule; do not tell the god of music and art that he is terrible at music and art. Even if he is. "This was my reward for being truthful. I tried to keep them a secret. Only my barber knew, but he couldn't help blabbing. " Midas pointed out another golden statue—a bald man in a toga, holding a pair of shears. "That's him. He won't be telling anyone's secrets again. " 

"And someone's telling me that my dad's punishment's are harsh..." I mumbled.

The king smiled. Suddenly he didn't strike me as a harmless old man in a bathrobe. His eyes had a merry glow to them—the look of a madman who knew he was mad, accepted his madness and enjoyed it. "Yes, gold has many uses. I think that must be why I was brought back, eh Lit? To bankroll our patron. " 

Lit nodded. "That and my good sword arm. " 

I pulled my hair clip from my hair, ready to transform it to my bow 

"So you do have a patron," Jason said. "You work for the giants. " 

King Midas waved his hand dismissively. "Well, I don't care for giants myself, of course. But even supernatural armies need to get paid. I do owe my patron a great debt. I tried to explain that to the last group that came through, but they were very unfriendly. Wouldn't cooperate at all. " 

I felt Jason slip his hand into his pocket. "The last group?" 

"Hunters," Lit snarled. "Blasted girls from Artemis. " 

I froze and felt like the sunlight in the roon was getting warmer. Jason's eyes widened, and a spark of electricity—a literal spark—travel down his spine.

"When?" we demanded at the same time.

"What happened?" Jason added.

Lit shrugged. "A few days ago? I didn't get to kill them, unfortunately. They were looking for some evil wolves or something. Said they were following a trail, heading west. Missing demigod—I don't recall. " 

Percy, I thought, They were here while searching for him. Jason turned up either. The Hunters on the same track as us, Percy's disappearance. It was connected somehow.

Midas scratched his donkey ears. "Very unpleasant young ladies, those Hunters," he recalled. "They absolutely refused to be turned into gold. Much of the security system outside I installed to keep that sort of thing from happening again, you know. I don't have time for those who aren't serious investors. " 

Jason stood warily and glanced at us. We quickly got the message.

"Well," Piper said, managing a smile. "It's been a great visit. Welcome back to life. Thanks for the gold bag. " 

"Oh, but you can't leave!" Midas said. "I know you're not serious investors, but that's all right! I have to rebuild my collection. " 

Lit was smiling cruelly, giving me a bad feeling . The king rose, and Leo and Piper and I moved away from him. 

"Don't worry," the king assured them. "You don't have to be turned to gold. I give all my guests a choice—join my collection, or die at the hands of Lityerses. Really, it's good either way. " then he looked at me. "But for the daughter of Apollo I have only one suggestion..." 

Piper tried to use her charmspeak. "Your Majesty, you can't—" 

Quicker than any old man should've been able to move, Midas lashed out and tryied to touch me, but I did a step backwards and accidentally fell on the ground, so the king touched Piper instead.

"No!" Jason yelled. 

"Piper!" I screamed. But a frost of gold spread over Piper, and in a heartbeat, she was a glittering statue. Before I knew it, my bow was in my hand and I aimed between Lit's eyes. However, he cut my arrow with his sword and pushed the sword to my chest, making me to do a step backwards. I felt a hand on my back.

"Erre es karakas..." I muttered. And the last thing I heard was 'Sun'!

My whole body was shivering with a blanket around her shoulders. 

"Oohhh," I mumbled. "Why only donkey ears, dad? Why didn't you just turned him to one?!" Leo laughed at my reaction and then I realized that I was leaning on his shoulder. Warm. The campfire blazed, turning the air sharp with smoke. Firelight flickered against rock walls. They were in a shallow cave, but it didn't offer much protection. Outside, the wind howled. Snow blew sideways. It might've been day or night. The storm made it too dark to tell. 

"You're alright?" I asked, pulling my head off of Leo's shoulder, stretching.

"Nuh, I'm fine." Leo nodded. Then I felt that I needed to stretch your muscles, so I got up and started walking back and forth, then in circles around the campfire, then I wanted to use my healing magic on Piper, but Leo and Jason dragged me from her.

"You can't always use your sunny power's at night...!" Leo said.

"And you did it enough times." Jason nodded. "Al, you need to rest."

"They're right, Lambraques, your strong, but if you used your powers at night couple of times, you really should rest." Said Hedge.

"Argh, fine, fine!" I landed by the campfire, looking at the flames. "I am here and I am resting."

After a hour or so, Piper woke up. "Oh my God." Piper pounded her teeth. "He turned me into gold!"

"Now all this is in the past." Jason leaned over Piper and tucked a warm blanket under her, but she was as cold as if embraced by Boreas. "Leo? Alex?" called Piper.

"Here!" I raised my arm.

"We got the precious metal treatment too," Leo said. "But came out of it faster than you. Dunno why. We had to dunk you in the river to get you back completely. Tried to dry you off, but… it's really, really cold." 

"You've got hypothermia," Jason said. "We risked as much nectar as we could. Coach Hedge did a little nature magic—" 

"Sports medicine. " The coach bent over her. "Kind of a hobby of mine. Your breath might smell like wild mushrooms and Gatorade for a few days, but it'll pass. You probably won't die. Probably. " 

"And they didn't let me do anything." I pouted, arms crossed.

"Thanks," Piper said weakly. "And, you already did so much for me, Al. Hou need to rest too." She smiled at me, and I nodded. " And... How did you beat Midas?" Jason told her the story, putting most of it down to luck. 

The coach snorted. "Kid's being modest. You should've seen him. Hi-yah! Slice! Boom with the lightning!" 

"Coach, you didn't even see it," Jason said. "You were outside eating the lawn. " 

But the satyr was just warming up. "Then I came in with my club, and we dominated that room. Afterward, I told him, 'Kid, I'm proud of you! If you could just work on your upper body strength—'" 

"Coach," said Jason. 

"Yeah?" 

"Shut up, please. " 

"Sure. " The coach sat down at the fire and started chewing his cudgel. 

Jason put his hand on Piper's forehead and checked her temperature. "Leo, can you stoke the fire?" 

"On it. " Leo summoned a baseball-sized clump of flames and lobbed it into the campfire. 

"Do I look that bad?" Piper shivered. 

"Nah," Jason said. 

"You're a terrible liar," she said. "Where are we?" 

"Pikes Peak," Jason said. "Colorado. " 

"But that's, what—five hundred miles from Omaha?" I asked, surprised. 

"Something like that," Jason agreed. "I harnessed the storm spirits to bring us this far. They didn't like it—went a little faster than I wanted, almost crashed us into the mountainside before I could get them back in the bag. I'm not going to be trying that again." 

"Why are we here?" 

Leo sniffed. "That's what I asked him. " 

Jason gazed into the storm as if watching for something. "That glittery wind trail we saw yesterday? It was still in the sky, though it had faded a lot. I followed it until I couldn't see it anymore. Then—honestly I'm not sure. I just felt like this was the right place to stop. " 

"'Course it is. " Coach Hedge spit out some cudgel splinters. "Aeolus's floating palace should be anchored above us, right at the peak. This is one of his favorite spots to dock." 

"Maybe that was it. " Jason knit his eyebrows. "I don't know. Something else, too…" 

"The Hunters were heading west," I remembered, starting to iterate over the edges of the blankets with excitement. "Do you think they're around here?" 

Jason rubbed his forearm as if the tattoos were bothering him. "I don't see how anyone could survive on the mountain right now. The storm's pretty bad. It's already the evening before the solstice, but we didn't have much choice except to wait out the storm here. We had to give you guys some time to rest before we tried moving. " 

"We should forget about the name 'quest' and call these adventures 'rest', because I've never heard this word so many times at the same week." Guys smiled, but the smiles were tired. The wind howling outside the cave scared her, and she couldn't stop shivering. Piper sniffed. 

"We have to get you warm. " Jason sat next to her and held out his arms a little awkwardly. "Uh, you mind if I …" 

"I suppose." Jason put his arms around her and held her. They scooted closer to the fire. Coach Hedge chewed on his club and spit splinters into the fire. I pulled the blankets around me closer. 

Leo broke out some cooking supplies and started frying burger patties on an iron skillet. "So, guys, long as you're cuddled up for storytime… something I've been meaning to tell you. On the way to Omaha, I had this dream. Kinda hard to understand with the static and the Wheel of Fortune breaking in—" 

"Wheel of Fortune?" Leo's expression was deadly serious, but I didn't joked foo. Fortune was sneaky and no-one ever could say what was on her mind. And my dad wasn't getting along with her very well. Or she didn't get along with him. I didn't remembered this part, but I knew that weren't besties.

"The thing is," Leo said, "My dad Hephaestus talked to me. " Leo told us about his dream. In the firelight, with the wind howling, the story was even creepier. It seems that the story terrified Piper as her eyes had that look again, like a lost child. 

I tried to concentrate on something good: my ship is sailing safely (aka Jason and Piper cuddling eachother), Hedge not yelling "Die" every five seconds, and Leo graphically telling the story in the fast, nervous way like always 

"I don't understand. If demigods and gods have to work together to kill the giants, why would the gods stay silent? If they need us—" 

"Huh," Coach Hedge and I scoffed in unison. "The gods hate needing humans. They like to be needed by humans, but not the other way around." 

"Things will have to get a whole lot worse before Zeus admits he made a mistake closing Olympus. " I said, still glaring at the flames of the campfire. For a second I thought that I saw a face of a little girl with a corner of my eye, but when I moved my gaze this way - the vision disappeared. I thought about Hestia. I really appreciated the opportunity to talk to a goddess every now and then. Sometimes she could tell me some stories from the Olympus, like this time when dad started singing Britney Spears's songs... A small smile appeared on my lips.

"Coach," Piper deadpanned, "that was almost an intelligent comment. " 

Hedge huffed. "What? I'm intelligent-...! I'm really not surprised you haven't heard of the Giant War. The gods don't like to talk about it. Bad PR to admit you needed mortals to help beat an enemy. That's just embarrassing."

"There's more, though," Jason said. "When I dreamed about Hera in her cage, she said Zeus was acting unusually paranoid. And Hera—she said she went to those ruins because a voice had been speaking in her head. What if someone's influencing the gods, like Medea influenced us?" 

I shuddered. A terrible, terrible idea. Why does it sounds logical?

Leo set hamburger buns on the skillet to toast. "Yeah, Hephaestus said something similar, like Zeus, was acting weirder than usual. But what bothered me was the stuff my dad didn't say. Like a couple of times, he was talking about the demigods, and how he had so many kids and all. I don't know. He acted like getting the greatest demigods together was going to be almost impossible—like Hera was trying, but it was a really stupid thing to do, and there was some secret Hephaestus wasn't supposed to tell me. " 

Jason shifted in his place uncomfortably. His ripped muscles were tensed. "Chiron was the same way back at camp," he remembered. "He mentioned a sacred oath not to discuss—something. He told Annabeth to tell me about Romans and Greek. Coach, Al, you know anything about that?" I snapped out of my thoughts, shrugging.

"Nah. I'm just a satyr." Hedge said. "They don't tell us the juicy stuff. Especially an old—" He stopped himself. 

"An old guy like you?" Piper asked. "But you're not that old, are you?" 

"Hundred and four?" I asked the satyr, trying to remember the correct answer.

"And six," the coach muttered. 

Leo coughed so hard he caused me to jump and I had to slap him on the back. "Say what?" 

"Don't catch your panties on fire, Valdez. That's just fifty-three in human years. Still, yeah, I made some enemies on the Council of Cloven Elders. I've been a protector for a long time. But they started saying I was getting unpredictable. Too violent. Can you imagine?" 

"Wow. " Piper tried not to look at her friends. "That's hard to believe." 

Coach scowled. "Yeah, then finally we get a good war going with the Titans, and do they put me on the front lines? No! They send me as far away as possible—the Canadian frontier, can you believe it? Then after the war," the satyr continued. "They put me out to pasture. The Wilderness School."

"Well, they put me there either, you know." I pointed to myself with my thumb. "I wanted to go and find the the remaining monsters, but Annabeth insisted on sending me to a safe place..."

"Bah! She did that because you were one those unlucky ones who were injured." Hedge did not seemed like calming down. Leo, Jason and Piper were looking at me, while I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came to my mind. "They put me there because the think I'm too old to be helpful just because I like playing offense. All those flower-pickers on the Council—talking about nature. " 

"I thought satyrs liked nature," Piper ventured. 

"Shoot, I love nature," Hedge said. "Nature means big things killing and eating little things! And when you're a —you know—vertically challenged satyr like me, you get in good shape, you carry a big stick, and you take nothing from no one! That's nature. " Hedge snorted indignantly. "Flower-pickers. Anyway, I hope you got something vegetarian cooking, Valdez. I don't do flesh." 

"Yeah, Coach. Don't eat your cudgel. I got some tofu patties here. Piper's a vegetarian too. I'll throw them on in a second." 

The smell of frying burgers filled the air. My favourite smell; food. Leo put tofu patties on the skillet. The wind kept raging. I pulled the blanket around myself. Suddenly, Piper stirred. 

"We need to talk." She sat up, facing Jason. "I don't want to hide anything from you guys anymore. " 

We turned to her. Piper swallowed like she was regretting this. "Three nights before the Grand Canyon trip," she said, "I had a dream vision—a giant, telling me my father had been taken hostage. He told me I had to cooperate, or my dad would be killed. " 

The flames crackled. Finally, Jason said, "Enceladus? You mentioned that name before." 

Coach Hedge whistled. "Big giant. Breathes fire. Not somebody I'd want barbecuing my daddy goat. " 

I gave him a shut-please-up look. "Piper, go on. What happened next?" 

"I—I tried to reach my dad, but all I got was his personal assistant, and she told me not to worry. " 

"Jane?" Leo remembered. "Didn't Medea say something about controlling her?" 

Piper nodded. "To get my dad back, I had to sabotage this quest. I didn't realize it would be with us. Then after we started the quest, Enceladus sent me another warning: He told me he wanted you three dead. He wants me to lead you to a mountain. I don't know exactly which one, but it's in the Bay Area—I could see the Golden Gate Bridge from the summit. I have to be there by noon on the solstice, tomorrow. An exchange. " 

She didn't meet their our. She closed them and swallowed like she expected us to ram her through. Instead, I landed next to her after a moment and put my arm around her shoulders, hugging her. "I'm sorry, Piper." 

Leo nodded. "No kidding. You've been carrying this around for a week? Piper, we could help you." 

"Don't worry, Piper." Jason smiled slightly. "We'll do what we can do to make sure your dad gets home safe." 

Piper glared at them. "Why don't you yell at me or something? I was ordered to kill you!" 

"Aw, come on," Jason said. "You've saved all three of us on this quest. I'd put my life in your hands any day. " 

"Same," Leo said. "And I want a hug too." He smirked at me, making me roll my eyes, smiling;

"We all would trust you with our lives." I squeezed the girl again and then turned to Leo. "I'll think about your request." 

"You don't get it!" Piper said. "I've probably just killed my dad, telling you this." 

"I doubt it. " Coach Hedge belched. He was eating his tofu burger folded inside the paper plate, chewing it all like a taco. "Giant hasn't gotten what he wants yet, so he still needs your dad for leverage. He'll wait until the deadline passes, see if you show up. He wants you to divert the quest to this mountain, right?" 

Piper nodded uncertainly. 

"So that means Hera is being kept somewhere else," Hedge reasoned. "And she has to be saved by the same day. So you have to choose—rescue your dad or rescue Hera. If you go after Hera, then Enceladus takes care of your dad. Besides, Enceladus would never let you go even if you cooperated. You're obviously one of the seven in the Great Prophecy. " 

One of the seven. The words darkened the cave, bringing a chill in the air. They'd talked about it, but it wasn't a happy subject. This ground lady told me that I'm not one of them - I felt that earlier, so it must be true, but Leo, Jason and Piper...

"So we have no choice," Piper said miserably. "We have to save Hera, or the giant king gets unleashed. That's our quest. The world depends on it. And Enceladus seems to have ways of watching me. He isn't stupid. He'll know if we change course and go the wrong way. He'll kill my dad. "

"He's not going to kill your dad," Leo said. "We'll save him. " 

"We don't have time!" Piper cried. "Besides, it's a trap. " 

"We're your friends, beauty queen," Leo said. "We're not going to let your dad die. We just gotta figure out a plan. " 

"He's your family, Pipes." I said, looking at her, spreading confidence. "If I learned something from a demigod life, it's that family is your mainstay, and it worth everything. We will save your dad. Even if we'll have to fight some giant army." 

Coach Hedge grumbled. "It would help if we knew where this mountain was. Maybe Aeolus can tell you that. The Bay Area has a bad reputation for demigods. The old home of the Titans, Mount Othrys, sits over Mount Tam, where Atlas holds up the sky. I hope that's not the mountain you saw. " 

Piper looked thoughtful. "I don't think so. This was inland." 

"Bad reputation…" Jason muttered. "That doesn't seem right. The Bay Area …"

"You think you have been there before?" Piper asked. 

"I …" He looked like he were almost on the edge of a breakthrough. Then the anguish came back into his eyes. "I don't know. Hedge, Al, what happened to Mount Othrys?"


	8. Chapter 8

Hedge took another bite of paper and burger, while I began; "Well, Kronos built a new palace there last summer. Big nasty place, was going to be the headquarters for his new kingdom and all. Weren't any battles there, though. Kronos marched in Manhattan, tried to take Olympus. If I remember right, he left some other Titans in charge of his palace, but after Kronos got defeated in Manhattan, the whole palace just crumbled on its own. " 

"No," Jason said and we all looked at him. 

"What do you mean, 'No'?" Leo asked. 

"That's not what happened. I—" Then Jason tensed, looking toward the cave entrance. 

"Did you hear that?" I jumped on my feet. The blankets fell on the ground. For a second, nothing. Then I heard it again: howls piercing the night. 

"Wolves," Piper said. "They sound close." 

I was ready to pull the bowstring. Jason rose and summoned his sword. Leo and Coach Hedge got to their feet too. Piper tried but fell right back down. 

"Stay there," Jason told her. "We'll protect you." 

She gritted her teeth but said nothing. Then, just outside the firelight at the entrance of the cave, I saw a pair of red eyes glowing in dark. 

Shit, I thought. Shit, shit, shit... Red eyes aren't something good. More wolves edged into the firelight—black beasts bigger than Great Danes, with ice and snow caked on their fur. Their fangs gleamed, and their glowing red eyes looked disturbingly intelligent. The wolf in front was almost as tall as a horse, his mouth stained as if he'd just made a fresh kill. 

Then Jason stepped forward and said something in Latin. I wouldn't think a dead language would have much effect on wild animals, but the alpha wolf curled his lip. The fur stood up along his spine. One of his lieutenants tried to advance, but the alpha wolf snapped at his ear. Then all of the wolves backed into the dark. 

"Dude, I gotta study Latin. " Leo's hammer shook in his hand. "What'd you say?" 

Hedge cursed. "Whatever it was, it wasn't enough. Look. " The wolves were coming back, but the alpha wolf wasn't with them. They didn't attack. They waited—at least a dozen now, in a rough semicircle just outside the firelight, blocking the cave exit. The coach hefted his club. "Here's the plan. I'll kill them all, and you guys escape. " 

"Coach, they'll rip you apart," Piper said. 

"Nah, I'm good. " 

"And underworld is a sunny place..." I said sarcastically. Then I saw the silhouette of a man coming through the storm, wading through the wolf pack. 

"Stick together," Jason said. "They respect a pack. And Hedge, no crazy stuff. We're not leaving you or anyone else behind. " 

Piper looked down and swallowed. I could sort of understand what she was feeling - she was the weak link in their "pack" right now. She might as well be wearing a sign that said free lunch. And that meant that we had to protect her. The wolves parted, and the man stepped into the firelight. His hair was greasy and ragged, the color of fireplace soot, topped with a crown of what looked like finger bones. His robes were tattered fur—wolf, rabbit, raccoon, deer, and several others I couldn't identify. The furs didn't look cured, and from the smell, they weren't very fresh. His frame was lithe and muscular, like distance runners. But the most horrible thing was his face. His thin pale skin was pulled tight over his skull. His teeth were sharpened like fangs. His eyes glowed bright red like his wolves'—and they fixed on Jason with absolute hatred. 

"Ecce," he said, "Et filio de Roma." (look, a son of Rome.) 

"Speak English, wolf man!" Hedge bellowed. 

The wolf man snarled. "Tell your faun to mind his tongue, son of Rome. Or he'll be my first snack. " The wolf man studied their little 'wolf pack' as Jason had dubbed it. His nostrils twitched. "So it's true," he mused. "A child of Aphrodite. A son of Hephaestus. A faun. And child of Rome, of Lord Jupiter, no less. All together, without killing each other. How interesting. " he squinted his eyes and looked at me. "And you... A child of Apollo... I was never told are you Greek or Roman."

I frowned. Dad was the only one that didn't changed through the years, he was Apollo for the Greeks and the Romans , but I didn't understood what he ment when he said that he doesn't know if I am Greek or Roman.

"You were told about us?" Jason asked. "By whom?" 

The man snarled—perhaps a laugh, perhaps a challenge. "Oh, we've been patrolling for you all across the west, demigod, hoping we'd be the first to find you. The giant king will reward me well when he rises. I am Lycaon, king of the wolves. And my pack is hungry. " The wolves snarled in the darkness. 

Out of the corner of her eye, I saw Leo put up his hammer and slip something else from his tool belt—a glass bottle full of clear liquid. Lycaon glared at Jason's sword and my bow. He moved to each side as if looking for an opening, but Jason's blade and my arrow moved with him. 

"Leave," Jason ordered. "There's no food for you here. " 

"Unless you want tofu burgers," Leo offered. 

Lycaon bared his fangs. Apparently he wasn't a tofu fan. "If I had my way," Lycaon said with regret, "I'd kill you first, son of Jupiter. Your father made me what I am. I was the powerful mortal king of Arcadia, with fifty fine sons, and Zeus slew them all with his lightning bolts. " 

"Ha," Coach Hedge said. "For good reason!" 

"There wasn’t even a drop of humanity in you..." I said, shaking my head.

Jason glanced over his shoulder. "You know this clown?" 

"I do," Piper answered. "Lycaon invited Zeus to dinner but the king wasn't sure it was really Zeus. So to test his powers, Lycaon tried to feed him human flesh. Zeus got outraged—" 

"And killed my sons!" Lycaon howled. The wolves behind him howled too. 

"So Zeus turned him into a wolf," Piper said. "They call… they call werewolves lycanthropes, named after him, the first werewolf. " 

"The king of wolves," Coach Hedge finished. "An immortal, smelly, vicious mutt. " 

Lycaon growled. "I will tear you apart, faun!" 

"Oh, you want some goat, buddy? 'Cause I'll give you goat. " 

"Stop it," Jason said. "Lycaon, you said you wanted to kill me first, but. . . ?" 

"Sadly, Child of Rome, you are spoken for. Since this one" he waggled his claws at Piper "Has failed to kill you, you are to be delivered alive to the Wolf House. One of my compatriots has asked for the honor of killing you both herself. " 

"Who?" Jason asked. 

The wolf king snickered. "Oh, a great admirer of yours. Apparently, you made quite an impression on her. She will take care of you soon enough, and really I cannot complain. Spilling your blood at the Wolf House should mark my new territory quite well. Lupa will think twice about challenging my pack. " 

Piper struggled to her feet, next to me. She wobbled for a bit, and put her hand on my shoulder, for support. 

"You're going to leave now," Piper said, "Before we destroy you. " I hoped that her charm speaking will work.

Lycaon's red eyes crinkled with humor. "A brave try, girl. I admire that. Perhaps I'll make your end quick. Only the son of Jupiter is needed alive. The rest of you, I'm afraid, are dinner. " 

Jason took a step forward. "You're not killing anyone, wolf man. Not without going through me." 

Lycaon howled and extended his claws. Jason slashed at him, but his golden sword passed straight through as if the wolf king wasn't there. Lycaon laughed. "Gold, bronze, steel—none of these are any good against my wolves, son of Jupiter. " 

"Silver!" Piper cried. "Aren't werewolves hurt by silver?" 

"We don't have any silver!" Jason said. 

"I do." I notched one of the two silver arrows that I had and aimed right to the man's left eye. I never had any idea why would I have this arrow. It just was there and I never used it, because, well, it's silver. I could sell it or anything, I dunno. "One step forward and your pack will have to gather for election." Wolves yelped and retreated.

Lycaon looked at me. "Oh, Apollo's kid." He laughed again. "I think I heard some rumours about you. A hero with the name of an old city, and a incredible power for some regular demigod." Lycaon smirked. I started to panic. "Do your friends know...?"

"Shut up." I pulled the bowstring stronger. He can't know. He can't. No one knows that. No one supposed to know-...

"Why? You didn't told them?" Lycaon laughed again. "Oh, that's so nice. Are you afraid that they will leave you? Judge you?"

"I said shut up!" my voice was shivering. Jason dropped his sword. He crouched like he was ready to go hand-to-hand. Leo pulled his hammer out of his pack. Piper raised her dagger—not much, but it was all she had. Coach Hedge hefted his club, and he was the only one who looked excited. Then a ripping sound cut through the wind—like a piece of tearing cardboard. A long stick sprouted from the neck of the nearest wolf—the shaft of a silver arrow but this wasn't from me. The wolf writhed and fell, melting into a puddle of shadow. More arrows. More wolves fell. The pack broke in confusion. An arrow flashed toward Lycaon, but the wolf king caught it in midair. Then he yelled in pain. When he dropped the arrow, it left a charred, smoking gash across his palm. Another arrow caught him in the shoulder, and the wolf king staggered. 

"Curse them!" Lycaon yelled. He growled at his pack, and the wolves turned and ran. Lycaon fixed Jason with those glowing red eyes. "This isn't over, demigods. " The wolf king disappeared into the night. 

Seconds later, I heard more wolves baying, but the sound was different—less threatening, more like hunting dogs on the scent. A smaller white wolf burst into the cave, followed by two more.

Hedge said, "Kill it?" 

"No!" I cried. The wolves tilted their heads and studied us with huge golden eyes. A heartbeat later, their masters appeared: a troop of hunters in white-and-gray winter camouflage, at least half a dozen. All of them carried bows, with quivers of glowing silver arrows on their backs. Their faces were covered with parka hoods, but clearly they were all girls. One, a little taller than the rest, crouched in the firelight and snatched up the arrow that had wounded Lycaon's hand. I stared in wonder. 

"So close. " She turned to her companions. "Phoebe, stay with me. Watch the entrance. The rest of you, follow Lycaon. We can't lose him now. I'll catch up with you-... " the girl stopped as if she had been hit under her breath, which was almost true, because I pounced on her, wrapping my arms around her body, hugging her tightly.

"Thal!" I squeaked.

"Wha-... Ria?!" 

"Hi!" my lips sprawled in a smile, and the Hunter hugged me back, laughing;

"Dam, Ria, how tall are you?" 

"Almost 5'5, ma." I joked, and we pulled back.

Thalia pulled down her parka hood. Her hair was spiky black, unruly as always, with a silver tiara across her brow. Her face had a super-healthy glow to it like it always had, but her face was stooped. She must have been on Lycaon's trail for ages, and her eyes were a brilliant blue. She turned toward the others. "We've been following that demon's trail for over a week. Is everyone all right? No one got bit?" 

Jason stood frozen, staring at her.

"Wait... Do I know you?" Thalia asked, looking at him, frowning.

I squeaked again, giving both of them a dazzling smile. "Ok, ok. This might be a shock, but...!" I turned to Jason right when he spoke up.

"Thalia. " Jason stepped forward, his voice trembling. "I-I'm Jason, your brother. " For a minute, Jason and Thalia faced each other, stunned. Then Thalia rushed forward and hugged him. 

"My gods! She told me you were dead!" Thalia gripped Jason's face and seemed to be examining everything about it. "Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip—you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!" I was there, still smiling. She told me this story when we mat at camp two of years ago. That was really... Strange, I think, to find out that your cousin is a half blood too, and you are related to one of the children of the Big Three. Oh, sorry, I related to two of them.

Leo laughed. "Wait, seriously?" 

Hedge nodded like he approved of Jason's taste. "Staplers —an excellent source of iron. " 

"W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?" 

At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barked. Thalia looked back at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hands on Jason's face like she was afraid he might vanish. "My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit. " 

Piper did better than that. She collapsed. She would've cracked her head on the cave floor if Leo hadn't caught her. She wasn't too good either confronting the wolves took all her energy. She had trouble keeping her eyes open. 

Thalia rushed over. "What's wrong? Ah—never mind. I see. Hypothermia." She frowned at the satyr. "Don't you know nature healing?"

Hedge scoffed. "Why do you think they look this good? Can't you smell the Gatorade?" 

"Let me do this, I-.. "

"No, Ria, you're nor doing it at night." Thalia shook her head. "I know exactly what happens when you use your power's at the dark times of the day. And I can bet that's you already did this couple of times at this quest. You and the satyr," Thalia ordered to Leo, "Take the girl to my friend at the entrance. Phoebe's an excellent healer. "

"It's cold out there!" Hedge said. "I'll freeze my horns off. " 

"Come on, Hedge." Leo said, standing up. "They need time to talk. " 

"Humph. Fine," the satyr muttered. "Didn't even get to brain anybody. " 

And they carried Piper toward the entrance.

We were silent for several minutes. Jason looked at his sister as if she were some dangerous machine. Thalia seemed to be more relaxed, like the appearance of a long-lost relative wasn't the most strange thing she experienced, but she wad still staring at Jason like she was remembering the 2 yeas old kid, eating a stepper.

"Ok," I sighed. "Talia, explain: what happened to our family?"

Talia adjusted the silver bracelet around her wrist, and looked at Jason. “Don't you remember anything?” she asked.

Jason shook his head. “I woke up on the bus three days ago next to Alex, Leo and Piper.”

"But it wasn't our,” I added hastily. "Hera stole his memories. "

"Hera?" Talia shuddered. “How do you know that?”

We told her about our quest - about the prophecy uttered in the Camp, about the confinement of Hera, about the capture of Piper's father and about the deadline - the day of the solstice. Talia knew how to listen. Nothing seemed to surprise her — neither monsters, nor prophecies, nor risen from the dead. But when Jason spoke about King Midas, she cursed in ancient Greek.

“I knew I needed to burn his mansion,” she said frowningly. "This type is dangerous. But we were in such a hurry to find Lycaon ... Well, okay, I'm glad you got out of there. So, has Hera hid you all these years?"

"I do not know." Jason pulled a photograph from his pocket. “She gave me exactly so much memory that I could recognize you.”

Talia looked at the photograph, and her expression softened. “Did I leave her in the first house?”

Jason nodded. “I think Hera wanted us to meet. When we landed here in this cave... I had a feeling that it was important. Well, I kinda felt like you were somewhere nearby. Am I crazy?"

“Jason, when dealing with the gods, craziness has nothing to do with it. But Hera cannot be trusted, especially by us. After all, we are the children of Zeus. She hates all his children."

"But she said something about the fact that Zeus gave her my life as a sign of reconciliation. Does this make any sense?"

"Oh Gods!" Blood drained from Talia's face and I frowned. "Mom would never... You don’t remember... No, of course you don’t..."

"What I do not remember?"

Talia's face seemed to grow old in the gleams of fire, immortality, it seemed, no longer left an imprint on her appearance.

“Jason... Uh..." I started, frowning. "My aunt, your mother, she wasn't...

"She wasn't mentally stable." Thalia said. "She attracted the attention of Zeus because she was an actress on television. She was very beautiful. But she drank and threw all sorts of stupid fortels. They always wrote about her in tabloids. But she was not enough. We argued with her even before you were born. I think it was hard for her to live with this. To attract the attention of the sovereign of heaven was for her the highest achievement, and when he abandoned her, she could not accept it. You see, if we talk about the gods... Then they leave forever."

I nodded. "My mom met Apollo at some small club at Washington while she was singing there. She and your mother wasn't really close since the childhood, so when your mom started dating Zeus, and acting weird, my mom stopped talking and meeting with her. When I was born and Apollo told my mother about himself being a god she tried to resume communication with your mother..." I gulped, feeling a little weird because I never told the whole story to everyone. "Last year, a monster - one of those in Kronos's army - killed her. I never saw her body, but I saw her death in one of my dreams... When the war was over, Nico, the son of Hades, confirmed her death." I looked at Jason's face. Yes, I lost my mom too. Yes, I had difficult times. But at least my mom was mentally stable.

“So...” Jason seemed unable to finish the comment.

“Jason, you have friends,” I said, exhaling. “A sister, and an awesome cousin like me. You are not alone."

Talia held out her hand, and Jason took it.

“When I was seven years old,” she said, “Zeus began to go to our mother again. I think he was worried that her life was ruining, and he seemed... Somehow different. A little aged, tougher, fatherly feelings for me awoke in him. For some time, mom felt better. She liked that Zeus comes to her, brings her gifts. She always wanted more attention. You were born that year. Mom... you see, I never got along with her, but with your birth I had reasons not to leave her. You were so cute. And I was afraid that mom would not treat you. Zeus, of course, soon stopped coming. Probably, he could no longer bear the claims of our mother. She always demanded that he take her to see Olympus, or make her immortal, or endowed with unfading beauty. When he left forever, mother gradually began to peddle. And around this time, monsters began to attack me. Mom blamed Hera. She thought that the goddess had a grudge against you, that Hera had barely put up with my birth, but two demigods in the same family were already too much." Thalia glanced at me, and removed a short lock of hair from my face. "Considering the fact that our mother's sister, gave a birth to another demigod... Mom even said that she didn’t want to call you Jason, but Zeus insisted to pacify Hera, because the goddess liked the name. I did not know what to believe."

“So...” I breathed deeply. "How-... How did Jason disappeared?"

Thalia squeezed her brother's hand and told us about this day when she lost Jason. "We haven’t told anyone about you — not even Annabeth and Luke, my two best friends. It hurt too much." She petted my hand.

“Chiron knew,” Jason said in a distant voice. - When I appeared in the camp, he only looked at me and said: "You should have already died."

“This is nonsense,” Talia objected. “I didn't say a word to him.”

“Well,” I squeezed Thalia's hand too. “The important thing is that we find each other. We're surprisingly happy."

“Ria is right,” Talia nodded. "Look at yourself. You are my age. You have grown."

“But where have I been?” asked Jason. “How could I be absent all this time?” And all this Roman nonsense..."

"Roman?" Talia frowned.

“Your brother speaks Latin,” I prompted. "He calls the gods Roman names. And he has this... Tattoo." Then he briefly told Talia about other unusual events: Borey turned into Aquilon, Lycaon called him “child of Rome”, and the wolves, hearing as Jason told them something in Latin, retreated.

"Latin... Zeus used to speak Latin when he met our mother for the second time. I already said, then it seemed different, more official."

“Do you think he was then in his Roman guise?” asked Jason. “And so I think of myself as the son of Jupiter?”

"Maybe. I’ve never heard of such things before, but maybe that’s why you use Roman names and speak Latin, not ancient Greek. This is very unusual. But still, this does not explain how you survived without being in the Half-Blood Camp. The son of Zeus - or Jupiter, or whatever it was - was supposed to be the object of attack by many monsters. If you were left alone, you would have long been dead. I know that without friends I could not survive. You also needed training, a safe place..."

“He was not alone,” I blurted. "We know about others.

“What do you mean by that?” Talia looked at me. I told her about the striped purple shirt in Medea’s store and about the story heard from the Cyclops — about the child of Mercury speaking in Latin.

“Maybe the demigods have some other place?” I asked. “Well, that is, apart from the Half-Blood Camp?"

Thalia watched him carefully with her striking blue eyes.

"I walked the country far and wide, but did not see a single demigod in purple shirt. And yet...” Thalia's voice froze, as if an alarming thought had just occurred to her.

"What?" asked Jason.

The girl shook her head:  
“I have to talk to the goddess. Maybe Artemis will instruct us."

“Is she still talking to you? Most of the gods fell silent. I didn't heard note from dad... ”I said.

"Artemis lives by his own rules. She needs to be careful that this does not reach Zeus, but she believes that he is acting stupidly, closing Olympus. It was Artemis who led us to the Lycaon trail. She said that this way we will go to one of our missing friend."

“Percy Jackson,” Jason guessed. “The guy Annabeth is looking for.”

Talia nodded. She looked preoccupied. And I went awry. I felt a small hole in my heart since I returned to the camp. Without Percy it was... Deferent. 

“And what can Lycaon have to do with all this?” I asked. “And how does this relate to us?”

“We need to find out as soon as possible,” Talia agreed. “If your deadline is tomorrow, then we are wasting precious time. Aeolus could tell you..." The white she-wolf appeared again at the entrance and whined insistently. "I have to go." Thalia got up. “Otherwise, I will lose the other hunters. But first, I still take you to the palace of Aeolus."

“If you can't, it's okay,” Jason said, not without chagrin, and got to his feet, helping me to rise up.

"Oh, come on." Talia smiled and placed her hands on our shoulders. “ We haven't had a family meeting for so long. I think I can tolerate your presence for several minutes before you start to annoy me. Well let's go!"

A hunter stood outside the tent, chatting with Coach Hedge. I smiled at them and went inside, to see Leo sitting there and Piper - laying with her head on a pillow.

"Hey!" I waved, and landed besides her, checking her temperature. "You seem alright phisicaly."

"Yeah, I'm thankful for that." Piper nodded.

I raised my head. Leo faced me and looked into my eyes. His face was serious and his eyes seeming to have turned into a darker color; "What... What did Lycaon talked about back then?"

I breathed deeply. "I-... Well... I don't know how exactly I should tell you about it, but I think that now is not the right time." I looked at Piper, who already was sitting straight. I had to tell them, they're my friend's. But I was afraid. I didn't wanted anyone to know about this. "I promise, I'll tell you everything, but now... I-..."

"It's ok, Al." Piper said, rubbing my arm. "Tell us when you will be ready. Just know that we're here for you." She whispered. "Even if you won't tell us anything." 

I returned her smile, suddenly understanding how exhausted I am. I looked at Leo with my eyes tearing up. I immediately began to rub my tears from my face, trying to calm down. I didn't liked to cry in front of people, showing my weaknesses. Then hands wrapped around me and hugged me thightly. I heard Leo's voice "You're not supposed to be strong all the time."

"Thanks." I said, sniffing.

A few seconds later, when Leo went out from the tent to search for Thalia and Jason, Phoebe - the hunter - came in, offering me and Piper more comfortable and appropriate clothes - a parka, gloves and camo pants - which both I and Piper accepted gratefully. Then she gave us the best hot chocolate I has ever had. We spent the next few minutes just resting, until Leo, Thalia and Jason appeared.

"Oh, no way," Leo suddenly said. "I left for a minute! I want hot chocolate and a parka too!" 

Phoebe sniffed. "Boys," she said like it was the worst insult she could think of. Well, after the adventure in Medea's store, there were moment's when I could agree with that.

"It's all right, Phoebe," Thalia said. "They'll need extra coats. And I think we can spare some chocolate. " Phoebe grumbled, but soon Leo and Jason were also dressed in silvery winter clothes that were incredibly lightweight and warm, the hot chocolate warming their hands. 

"Cheers!" said Coach Hedge. He crunched down his plastic thermos cup. 

"That cannot be good for your intestines," Leo said. 

Thalia turned to Piper. "You up for moving?" 

Piper nodded. "Thanks to Phoebe, yeah. You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing. I feel like I could run ten miles. " 

Thalia winked at Jason. "She's tough for a child of Aphrodite. I like this one. " 

"Hey, I could run ten miles too," Leo volunteered. "Tough Hephaestus kid here. Let's hit it. " 

It took Phoebe exactly six seconds to break camp, which I could not believe, making her me role model in camping. The tent self-collapsed into a square the size of a pack of chewing gum. Thalia ran uphill through the snow, hugging a tiny little path on the side of the mountain. And after a minute the Hunters left us in the dust. I couldn't keep up with them without breaking a sweat.

"Thalia, oh god's, how do you train exactly?!" I breathed heavily while Coach Hedge leaped around like a happy mountain goat, coaxing us to run faster. "Come on, Valdez! Lambraques! Pick up the pace! Let's chant. I've got a girl in Kalamazoo—" 

"Not this one!" I groaned.

"Let's not," Thalia snapped. Now I was thankful that we ran in silence.

I fell in next to Jason and Leo at the back of the group; "How you doing, guys?" Jason's expression was enough of an answer: Not good. 

"Thalia takes it so calmly," he said. "Like it's no big deal that I appeared. I didn't know what I was expecting, but… she's not like me. She seems so much more together. " 

"Hey, she's not fighting." Leo said. 

"Plus," I breathed deeply. "She's had more time to get used to this whole demigod thing. You fight monsters and talk to gods for a while and you get used to surprises, believe me."

"Maybe," Jason said. "I just wish I understood what happened when I was two, why mom got rid of me. Thalia ran away because of me."

"Hey, whatever's happened, it wasn't your fault." Leo said. "And Thalia's really great. Awesome. She's a lot like you. "

Any other time and I would have been very fascinated with the view. Below us, the world was blanketed in clouds. Night had set in, but a full moon shone and the stars were incredible. Stretching out to the north and south, peaks of other mountains rose from the clouds like islands. But the real show was above us. Hovering in the sky, about a quarter-mile away, was a massive free-floating island of glowing purple stone. The sides were rugged cliffs, riddled with caves, and every once in a while a gust of wind burst out with a sound like a pipe organ blast. At the top of the rock, brass walls ringed some kind of a fortress. 

The only thing connecting Pikes Peak to the floating island was a narrow bridge of ice that glistened in the moonlight. Oh damn it. Heights.

"That," Leo choked, "Is a really large rock." Then I realized the bridge wasn't exactly ice, because it wasn't solid. As the winds changed direction, the bridge snaked around—blurring and thinning, in some places even breaking into a dotted line like the vapor trail of a plane.

"We're not seriously crossing that, right?!" I squeaked, looking at my female cousin.

Thalia shrugged. "I'm not a big fan of heights, you know this. But if you want to get to Aeolus's fortress, this is the only way. " 

"Is the fortress always hanging there?" Piper asked. "How can people not notice it sitting on top of Pikes Peak?" 

"The Mist," Thalia said. "Still, mortals do notice it indirectly. Some days, Pikes Peak looks purple. People say it's a trick of the light, but actually it's the color of Aeolus's palace, reflecting off the mountain face. " 

"It's enormous," Jason said. 

Thalia laughed. "You should see Olympus, little brother. " 

"You're serious? You've been there?" 

Thalia grimaced as if It wasn't a good memory. "We should go across in two different groups. The bridge is fragile. " 

"That's reassuring," Leo said. "Jason, can't you just fly us up there?" 

Thalia laughed. Then she seemed to realize Leo's question wasn't a joke. "Wait… Jason, you can fly?" 

Jason gazed up at the floating fortress. "Well, sort of. More like I can control the winds. But the winds up here are so strong, I'm not sure I'd want to try. Thalia, you mean… you can't fly?" For a second, Thalia looked genuinely afraid. Then she got her expression under control. Yeah, the fear of heights was something in our family. On the female side.

"Truthfully," she said, "I've never tried. It might be better if we stuck to the bridge. " 

Coach Hedge tapped the ice vapor trail with his hoof, then jumped onto the bridge. Amazingly, it held his weight. "Easy! I'll go first. Piper, come on, girl. I'll give you a hand. " 

"No, that's okay," Piper started to say, but the coach grabbed her hand and dragged her up the bridge. 

When they were about halfway, the bridge still seemed to be holding them just fine. 

Thalia turned to her Hunter friend. "Phoebe, I'll be back soon. Go find the others. Tell them I'm on my way. " 

"You sure?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes at Leo and Jason like they might kidnap Thalia or something. 

"It's fine," Thalia promised. 

Phoebe nodded reluctantly, then raced down the mountain path, the white wolves at her heels. 

"Guys, just be careful where you step," Thalia said. "It hardly ever breaks. " 

"It hasn't met me yet," Leo muttered, but he and Jason led the way up the bridge. 

"I hate it, hate it, hate it...!" I muttered following behind them, holding to Leo's shirt. 

Halfway up, things went wrong, and of course, it was our fault. Piper and Hedge had already made it safely to the top and were waving at us, encouraging them to keep climbing, but they got distracted. A sudden revelation stopped Leo in their tracks. 

"Why do they have a bridge?" he asked. 

Thalia frowned. "Leo, this isn't a good place to stop. What do you mean?" 

"They're wind spirits," Leo said. "Can't they fly?" 

"Leo, you can't fly either, but I will fly you to the sun if your not keep going..." I warned the guy.

"Sometimes they need a way to connect to the world below. " answered Thalia.

"So the bridge isn't always here?" Leo asked. 

Thalia shook her head. "The wind spirits don't like to anchor to the earth, but sometimes it's necessary. Like now. They know you're coming. " And that's about the time when Leo started smoking, literally. His pants steamed in the cold air. His shoes were literally smoking, and the bridge didn't like it. The ice was thinning. 

"Leo?" Jason said. "What are you thinking?" 

"Oh, gods," Thalia said. "Keep moving. Look at your feet. " 

"Leo." I said with my voice shaking. "Think about something cold."

"Leo, stop it," Jason warned. "You're going to melt it. " 

"I'll try," Leo said. But his body was overheating on its own, running as fast as his thoughts. "Listen, Jason, what did Hera call you in that dream? She called you a bridge, right? " 

"Leo, seriously, cool down," Thalia said. "I don't know what you're talking about, but the bridge is—" 

"Just listen," Leo insisted. "If Jason is a bridge, what's he connecting? Maybe two different places that normally don't get along—like the air palace and the ground. You had to be somewhere before this, right? And Hera said you were an exchange. "

"An exchange. " Thalia's eyes widened. "Oh, gods. " 

Jason frowned. "What are you two talking about?" 

Thalia murmured something like a prayer. "I understand now why Artemis sent me here. Jason—she told me to hunt for Lycaon and I would find a clue about Percy. You are the clue. Artemis wanted us to meet so I could hear your story. " 

"I don't understand," he protested. "I don't have a story. I don't remember anything. " 

"If Leo's right," I said. "It's all connected. Percy, and Jason, and... If we just knew where—" 

Leo snapped his fingers. "Jason, what did you call that place in your dream? That ruined house. The Wolf House?" 

Thalia nearly choked. "The Wolf House? Jason, why didn't you tell me that! That's where they're keeping Hera?" 

"You know where it is?" Jason asked. 

Then the bridge dissolved. Leo would've fallen to his death, but Jason grabbed his coat and pulled him to safety. The two of them scrambled up the bridge, and when they turned, Thalia was on the other side of a thirty-foot chasm. The bridge was continuing to melt. I slipped and was sure that I will be gone in a minute. But someone caught my waist and pulled me up. 

"I got you, Sunshine, I got you." I held on to him. My hands were shaking like the rest of my body. My vision was blurry, and the sound of the wind attacking my hears. The heart thudded in my chest. I had a strong sense of impending danger, fear of death, I was sweating and breathed shortly. I couldn't think about anything and I couldn't move.

"Al! Alex!" I could barely hear something. "Sunshine! Can you hear me?" It took me around a minute, but eventually I nodded weakly. Hands grabbed my face and I raised my gaze. My vision was still blurry, but I could tell that it was Leo. "Look at me, ok?" He took one of my hand's and placed it on his chest. "Breathe with me, Sun'." I didn't knew how much time I was trying to do like he said, but when I finally regained my breathing, my vision came back, letting me see the worried expression on Leo's face.

"Hey, look at me." Piper demanded. I had no idea if she used her charm speak or not. "What's your name?" 

I opened my mouth, and after a moment answered her, my voice still trembling and sounding weak; "Alexandria Lambraques," I breathed deeply and slowly, trying to cause my body to relax.

"Ok, good." Piper smiled. "Can you name three things that you see?"

"Uh..." I gulped, starting to calm down a little. "I see you, Piper, Leo, and uh... The palace behind you..." We were at the base of a stone stairway chiseled into the side of the cliff, leading up to the fortress. The top of Pikes Peak floated below them in a sea of clouds, but there was no sign of Thalia. "Wait, where... Where's the bridge...!"

"I got a little heated," said Leo, guilty. "Sorry, guys. Honest. I didn't—" 

"It's all right," Jason said, but his expression was grim. "We've got less than twenty-four hours to rescue a goddess and Piper's dad. Let's go see the king of the winds."

"I want to finish this quest..." I mumbled. "This panic attack was terrible...."

The only one who seemed in a good mood was Coach Hedge. He kept bounding up the slippery staircase and trotting back down. "Come on, cupcakes! Only a few thousand more steps!" 


	9. Chapter 9

Finally, we arrived at the top of the island. Bronze walls marched all the way around the fortress grounds. Twenty-foot-high gates opened for them, and a road of polished purple stone led up to the main citadel—a white-columned rotunda, Greek-style, like one of the monuments in Washington, D. C. —except for the cluster of satellite dishes and radio towers on the roof. 

"That's bizarre," Piper said. 

"Guess you can't get cable on a floating island," Leo said. "Dang, check this guy's front yard. " 

The rotunda sat in the center of a quarter-mile circle. The grounds were amazing in a scary way. They were divided into four sections like big pizza slices, each one representing a season. The section on their right was an icy waste, with bare trees and a frozen lake. Snowmen rolled across the landscape as the wind blew, so I wasn't sure if they were decorations or alive, but with our luck, it's probably alive. To their left was an autumn park with gold and red trees. Mounds of leaves blew into patterns—gods, people, animals that ran after each other before scattering back into leaves. In the distance, I could see two more areas behind the rotunda. One looked like a green pasture with sheep made out of clouds. The last section was a desert where tumbleweeds scratched strange patterns in the sand like Greek letters, smiley faces, and a huge advertisement that read: watch Aeolus nightly! 

"One section for each of the four wind gods...?" I guessed. 

"I'm loving that pasture. " Coach Hedge licked his lips. "You guys mind—" 

"Go ahead," Jason said. I was actually relieved he had sent the satyr off. It would be hard enough getting on Aeolus's good side without Coach Hedge waving his club and screaming, "Die!" While the satyr ran off to attack springtime, Jason, Leo, Piper and I walked down the road to the steps of the palace. We passed through the front doors into a white marble foyer decorated with purple banners that read Olympian weather channel, and some that just read OW! 

"Hello!" A woman floated up to us. Literally floated. She was pretty in that elfish way I associated with nature spirits at Camp Half-Blood—petite, slightly pointy ears, and an ageless face that could've been sixteen or thirty. Her brown eyes twinkled cheerfully. Even though there was no wind, her dark hair blew in slow motion, shampoo-commercial style. Her white gown billowed around her like parachute material. I couldn't tell if she had feet, but if so, they didn't touch the floor. She had a white tablet computer in her hand. 

"Are you from Lord Zeus?" she asked. "We've been expecting you. " 

"Are you a ghost?" Jason asked.

"An aura, am I correct?" I asked her.

She nodded in confirmation, but her lips remained to be pouting."I'm an aura, yes. A wind nymph, as you might expect, working for the lord of the winds. My name is Mellie. We don't have ghosts. " 

"Oh no, of course, you don't." I waved my hand, agreeing with Mellie, trying to sound like having ghosts is the most nonsense ever. "My friend here simply mistook you for Helen of Troy, who known of being the most beautiful mortal of all time. It's an easy mistake, truly." I said it as casual as possible, and the aura turned pink. 

"Can I have a lesson in flirting from you, Sunshine?" Leo winked at me, and I elbowed him.

"Oh... well, then. So you are from Zeus?" 

"Er," Jason said, "I'm the son of Zeus, yeah. " 

"Excellent! Please, right this way. " She led us through some security doors into another lobby, consulting her tablet as she floated. She didn't look where she was going, but apparently it didn't matter as she drifted straight through a marble column with no problem. "We're out of prime time now, so that's good," she mused. "I can fit you in right before his 11:12 spot. " 

"Um, okay," Jason said. 

"The gods always has a tight schedule, huh?" I asked Millie, and she nodded, smiling;

"Indeed."

The lobby was a pretty distracting place for someone with ADHD. Winds blasted around us, so I felt like I was pushing through an invisible crowd. Doors blew open and slammed by themselves. The things I could see were just as bizarre. Paper airplanes of all different sizes and shapes sped around, and other wind nymphs, aurai, would occasionally pluck them out of the air, unfold and read them, then toss them back into the air, where the planes would refold themselves and keep flying. A harpy fluttered past them, drifting around and bumping into things like a parade balloon. 

"Not an aura?" Jason asked Mellie as the creature wobbled by. 

Mellie laughed. "That's a harpy, of course. Our, ah, ugly stepsisters, I suppose you would say. Don't you have harpies on Olympus? They're spirits of violent gusts, unlike us aurai. We're all gentle breezes. " 

"'Of course," I smiled at her. "We do have harpies at Olympus and at Camp Half-Blood. This place is just so beautiful, Jason could probably forgot his own name!" I chuckled, looking at Millie. Yeah, about it... This is something I learned from my father. He calls it flirt. I call it 'This damn thing that'll save my life'. Mellie led us through a set of doors like an airlock. Above the interior door, a green light blinked. 

"We have a few minutes before he starts," Mellie said cheerfully. "He probably won't kill you if we go in now. Come along!" 

"Oh, yeah, thanks!" Piper smiled. 

My jaw dropped. The central section of Aeolus's fortress was as big as a cathedral, with a soaring domed roof covered in silver. Television equipment floated randomly through the air—cameras, spotlights, set pieces, potted plants. And there was no floor. Leo almost fell into the chasm before I grabbed him by the back of his coat.

"Holy—!" Leo gulped. "Hey, Mellie. A little warning next time!" An enormous circular pit plunged into the heart of the mountain. It was probably half a mile deep, honeycombed with caves. Some of the tunnels probably led straight outside. I remembered seeing winds blast out of them when they'd been on Pikes Peak. Other caves were sealed with some glistening material like glass or wax. The whole cavern bustled with harpies, aurai, and paper airplanes, but for someone who couldn't fly, it would be a very long, very fatal fall. And I just had a panic attack after I almost fell on the way here. Great.

"Oh, my," Mellie gasped. "I'm so sorry. " She unclipped a walkie-talkie from somewhere inside her robes and spoke into it: "Hello, sets? Is that Nuggets? Hi, Nuggets. Could we get a floor in the main studio, please? Yes, a solid one. Thanks. " A few seconds later, an army of harpies rose from the pit—three dozen or so demon chicken ladies, all carrying squares of various building material. They went to work hammering and gluing—and using large quantities of duct tape, which didn't reassure me. In no time there was a makeshift floor snaking out over the chasm. It was made of plywood, marble blocks, carpet squares, wedges of grass sod—just about anything. 

"That can't be safe," Jason said. 

"Oh, it is!" Mellie assured him. "The harpies are very good. " 

Easy for her to say. She just drifted across without touching the floor, but Jason stepped out first. Probably because he could fly. Blonde superman. Amazingly, the floor held. 

Piper gripped his hand and followed him. "If I fall, you're catching me. " 

"Uh, sure. " Jason hoped he wasn't blushing. 

Leo stepped out next. "You're catching me, too, Superman. But I ain't holding your hand. " 

I came out last, grabbing Leo's shirt again. Somehow it turned to be something that made me feel better. I didn't said anything, I just gulped and walked after Leo, almost touching the back of his head with my face. Mellie led us toward the middle of the chamber, where a loose sphere of flat-panel video screens floated around a kind of control center. A man hovered inside, checking monitors and reading paper airplane messages. The man paid us no attention as Mellie brought us forward. She pushed a forty-two-inch Sony out of their way and led us into the control area. 

Leo whistled. "I got to get a room like this. " 

The floating screens showed all sorts of television programs. Some I recognized—news broadcasts, mostly—but some programs looked a little strange: gladiators fighting, demigods battling monsters. Maybe they were movies, but they looked more like reality shows. At the far end of the sphere was a silky blue backdrop like a cinema screen, with cameras and studio lights floating around it. The man in the center was talking into an earpiece phone. He had a remote control in each hand and was pointing them at various screens, seemingly at random. He wore a business suit that looked like the sky—blue mostly but dappled with clouds that changed and darkened and moved across the fabric. He looked like he was in his sixties, with a shock of white hair, but he had a ton of stage makeup on, and that smooth plastic-surgery look to his face, so he appeared not really young, not really old, just wrong—like a Ken doll someone had halfway melted in a microwave. His eyes darted back and forth from screen to screen like he was trying to absorb everything at once. He muttered things into his phone, and his mouth kept twitching. He was either amused, or crazy, or both. 

Mellie floated toward him. "Ah, sir, Mr. Aeolus, these demigods—" 

"Hold it!" He held up a hand to silence her, then pointed at one of the screens. "Watch!" It was one of those storm-chaser programs, where insane thrill-seekers drive after tornados. As the demigods watched, a Jeep plowed straight into a funnel cloud and got tossed into the sky. Aeolus shrieked with delight. "The Disaster Channel. People do that on purpose!" He turned toward us with a mad grin. "Isn't that amazing? Let's watch it again. " 

"Um, sir," Mellie said, "this is Jason, son of—" 

"Yes, yes, I remember," Aeolus said. "You back. How did it go?" 

Jason hesitated. "Sorry? I think you've mistaken us—" 

"No, no, Jason Grace aren't you? It was—what—last year? You were on your way to fight a sea monster, I believe." 

"I-I don't remember. " 

"Must not have been a very good sea monster! No, I remember every hero who's ever come to me for aid. Odysseus—gods, he docked at my island for a month! At least you stayed a few days. Now, watch this video. These ducks get sucked straight into—" 

"Sir," Mellie interrupted. "Two minutes to air. " 

"Air!" Aeolus exclaimed. "I love air. How do I look? Makeup!" Immediately a small tornado of brushes, blotters, and cotton balls descended on Aeolus. They blurred across his face in a cloud of flesh-tone smoke until his coloration was even more gruesome than before. The wind swirled through his hair and left it sticking up like a frosted Christmas tree. 

"Mr. Aeolus. " Jason slipped off the golden backpack. "We brought you these rogue storm spirits. " 

"Did you!" Aeolus looked at the bag like it was a gift from a fan—something he really didn't want. "Well, how nice. " 

Jason offered the bag. "Boreas sent us to capture them for you. We hope you'll accept them and stop—you know—ordering demigods to be killed. " 

Aeolus laughed and looked incredulously at Mellie. "Demigods be killed—did I order that?" 

Mellie checked her computer tablet. "Yes, sir, the fifteenth of September. 'Storm spirits released by the death of Typhon, demigods to be held responsible,' etc... yes, a general order for them all to be killed. " Oh. Good. Just freaking great.

"Oh, pish," Aeolus said. "I was just grumpy. Rescind that order, Mellie, and um, who's on guard duty—Teriyaki?—Teri, take these storm spirits down to cellblock Fourteen E, will you?" A harpy swooped out of nowhere, snatched the golden bag, and spiraled into the abyss. Aeolus grinned at Jason. "Now, sorry about that kill-on-sight business. But gods, I really was mad, wasn't I?" His face suddenly darkened, and his suit did the same, the lapels flashing with lightning. "You know... I remember now. Almost seemed like a voice was telling me to give that order. A little cold tingle on the back of my neck. " 

I tensed. A cold tingle on the back of his neck... Why did that sound so familiar? "Ah... um, a voice in your head, sir?" 

"Yes. How odd. Mellie, should we kill them?" 

"No, sir," she said patiently. "They just brought us the storm spirits, which makes everything all right. " 

"Of course. " Aeolus laughed. "Sorry. Mellie, let's send the demigods something nice. A box of chocolates, perhaps. " 

"A box of chocolates to every demigod in the world, sir?" I wouldn't protest. I love chocolate.

"No, too expensive. Never mind. Wait, it's time! I'm on!" Aeolus flew off toward the blue screen as newscast music started to play. 

I looked at Piper, Jason, and Leo, who seemed just as confused as she was. 

"Mellie," I looked over Leo’s shoulder, "Is he... always like that?" 

She smiled sheepishly. "Well, you know what they say. If you don't like his mood, wait five minutes. That expression 'whichever way the wind blows'—that was based on him. " 

"And that thing about the sea monster," Jason continued. "Were I here before?" 

Mellie blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't remember. I'm Mr. Aeolus's new assistant. I've been with him longer than most, but still—not that long." 

"How long do his assistants usually last?" Piper asked. 

"Oh..." Mellie thought for a moment. "I've been doing this for... twelve hours?" 

A voice blared from floating speakers: "And now, weather every twelve minutes! Here's your forecaster for Olympian Weather—the OW! channel—Aeolus!" Lights blazed on Aeolus, who was now standing in front of the blue screen. His smile was unnaturally white, and he looked like he'd had so much caffeine his face was about to explode;

"Hello, Olympus! Aeolus, master of the winds here, with weather every twelve! We'll have a low-pressure system moving over Florida today, so expect milder temperatures since Demeter wishes to spare the citrus farmers!"  
He gestured at the blue screen, but when I checked the monitors, she saw that a digital image was being projected behind Aeolus, so it looked like he was standing in front of a U. S. map with animated smiley suns and frowny storm clouds. "Along the eastern seaboard—oh, hold on. " He tapped his earpiece. "Sorry, folks! Poseidon is angry with Miami today, so it looks like that Florida freeze is back on! Sorry, Demeter. Over in the Midwest, I'm not sure what St. Louis did to offend Zeus, but you can expect winter storms! Boreas himself is being called down to punish the area with ice. Bad news, Missouri! No, wait. Hephaestus feels sorry for central Missouri, so you all will have much more moderate temperatures and sunny skies. " 

Aeolus kept going like that—forecasting each area of the country and changing his prediction two or three times as he got messages over his earpiece—the gods apparently putting in orders for various winds and weather. 

"This can't be right," Jason whispered. "Weather isn't this random. " 

Mellie smirked. "And how often are the mortal weathermen right? They talk about fronts and air pressure and moisture, but the weather surprises them all the time. At least Aeolus tells us why it's so unpredictable. Very hard job, trying to appease all the gods at once. It's enough to drive anyone..." 

"Crazy?" I finished, watching Aeolus. 

"Mellie, sweetheart. Your boss has gone loco." Leo muttered.

"And that's the weather," Aeolus concluded. "See you in twelve minutes, because I'm sure it'll change!" The lights shut off, the video monitors went back to random coverage, and just for a moment, Aeolus's face sagged with weariness. Then he seemed to remember he had guests, and he put a smile back on. "So, you brought me some rogue storm spirits," Aeolus said. "I suppose... thanks! And did you want something else? I assume so. Demigods always do. " 

Mellie said, "Um, sir, this is Zeus's son. " 

"Yes, yes. I know that. I said I remembered him from before. " 

"But, sir, they're here from Olympus. " 

Aeolus looked stunned. Then he laughed so abruptly, I could jump if not the fear. "You mean you're here on behalf of your father this time? Finally! I knew they would send someone to renegotiate my contract!" 

"Um, what?" Jason asked. 

"Oh, thank goodness!" Aeolus sighed with relief. "It's been what, three thousand years since Zeus made me master of the winds. Not that I'm ungrateful, of course! But really, my contract is so vague. Obviously I'm immortal, but 'master of the winds. ' What does that mean? Am I a nature spirit? A demigod? A god? I want to be the god of the winds because the benefits are so much better. Can we start with that?" 

Jason looked at us, mystified. 

"Dude," Leo said, "You think we're here to promote you?" 

"You are, then?" Aeolus grinned. His business suit turned completely blue—not a cloud in the fabric. "Marvelous! I mean, I think I've shown quite a bit of initiative with the weather channel, eh? And of course, I'm in the press all the time. So many books have been written about me: Into Thin Air, Up in the Air, Gone with the Wind—" 

"Er, really..?" I started saying before I noticed Mellie shaking her head. 

"Of course," Aeolus said. "Mellie, they're biographies of me, aren't they?" 

"Absolutely, sir," she squeaked. 

"There, you see? I don't read. Who has the time? But obviously the mortals love me. So, we'll change my official title to the god of the winds. Then, about salary and staff—" 

"Sir," Jason said, "We're not from Olympus. " 

Aeolus blinked. "But—" 

"I'm the son of Zeus, yes," Jason said, "But we're not here to negotiate your contract. We're on a quest and we need your help. " 

Aeolus's expression hardened. "Like last time? Like every hero who comes here? Demigods! It's always about you, isn't it?" 

"Sir, please, I don't remember last time, but if you helped me once before—" 

"I'm always helping! Well, sometimes I'm destroying, but mostly I'm helping, and sometimes I'm asked to do both at the same time! Why, Aeneas, the first of your kind—" 

"Our kind?" Jason asked. "You mean, demigods?" 

"Oh, please!" Aeolus said. "I mean your line of demigods. You know, Aeneas, son of Venus—the only surviving hero of Troy. When the Greeks burned down his city, he escaped to Italy, where he founded the kingdom that would eventually become Rome, blah, blah, blah. That's what I meant. " 

"I don't get it," Jason admitted. 

Aeolus rolled his eyes. "The point being, I was thrown in the middle of that conflict, too! Juno calls up: 'Oh, Aeolus, destroy Aeneas's ships for me. I don't like him. ' Then Neptune says, 'No, you don't! That's my territory. Calm the winds. ' Then Juno is like, 'No, wreck his ships, or I'll tell Jupiter you're uncooperative!' Do you think it's easy juggling requests like that?" 

"No," Jason said. "I guess not. " 

"And don't get me started on Amelia Earhart! I'm still getting angry calls from Olympus about knocking her out of the sky!" 

"We just want information," Piper said in her most calming voice. "We heard you know everything. " 

Aeolus straightened his lapels and looked slightly mollified. "Well... that's true, of course. For instance, I know that this business here"—he waggled his fingers at the three of them—"this harebrained scheme of Juno's to bring you all together is likely to end in bloodshed. As for you, Piper McLean, I know your father is in serious trouble. " He held out his hand, and a scrap of paper fluttered into his grasp. It was a photo of Piper with a guy who must've been her dad. 

Piper took the photo. Her hands were shaking. "This—this is from his wallet. " 

"Yes," Aeolus said. "All things lost in the wind eventually come to me. The photo blew away when the Earthborn captured him. " 

"The what?" Piper asked. 

Aeolus waved aside the question and narrowed his eyes at Leo. "Now, you, son of Hephaestus... yes, I see your future. " Another paper fell into the wind god's hands—an old tattered drawing done in crayons. Leo took it as if it might be coated in poison. He staggered backward, but I held him, still holding his shirt.

"Leo?" Jason said. "What is it?" 

"Something I—I drew when I was a kid. " He folded it quickly and put it in his coat. "It's... yeah, it's nothing. " 

Aeolus laughed. "Really? Just the key to your success!" He lowered his gaze and his eyes met with mine. "Oh. You. Well, I'm surprised that Hades didn't took your soul anyway after this story with Apollo, but who am I to judge, right?" He chuckled, and another thing landed on his palm. "One of the harpies found it between our world and the underworld. I think it's yours." The item flew to me, and I let go of Leo's shirt, reaching my hands and catching it. 

That was he the Camp Necklace that given to each camper at the end of each summer at Camp Half-Blood. The head councilors vote on the biggest event of the summer and paint it on a bead. On the first one was the features of a black bead with a turquoise trident. On the second one the Golden Fleece hanging from Thalia's pine tree. On the third one an intricately designed maze to represent Daedalus' Labyrinth. On the last one the Empire State Building with the names of the campers who fell in the Battle of Manhattan in tiny Ancient Greek writing.

"I-..." I couldn't believe that the necklace was with me again. I put it on my neck, smiling slightly to myself. "Thank you, I guess..."

"Now, where were we?" The master of wind smiled at Jason he were issuing a challenge. Behind him, Mellie shook her head in warning. "Ah, yes, you wanted information. Are you sure about that? Sometimes information can be dangerous. " 

"Yeah," Jason said. "We need to find the lair of Enceladus. " 

Aeolus's smile melted. "The giant? Why would you want to go there? He's horrible! He doesn't even watch my program!" 

Piper held up the photo. "Aeolus, he's got my father. We need to rescue him and find out where Hera is being held captive." 

"Now, that's impossible," Aeolus said. "Even I can't see that, and believe me, I've tried. There's a veil of magic over Hera's location—very strong, impossible to locate. " 

"She's at a place called the Wolf House," Jason said. 

"Hold on!" Aelous put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. "I'm getting something! Yes, she's at a place called the Wolf House! Sadly, I don't know where that is. " 

"Enceladus does," Piper persisted. "If you help us find him, we could get the location of the goddess—" 

"Yeah," Leo said, catching on. "And if we save her, she'd be really grateful to you—" 

"And Zeus might promote you," I finished, saying it as casual as possible. 

Aeolus's eyebrows crept up. "A promotion—and all you want from me is the giant's location?" 

"Well, if you could get us there, too," Jason amended, "That would be great. " 

Mellie clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, he could do that! He often sends helpful winds—" 

"Mellie, quiet!" Aeolus snapped. "I have half a mind to fire you for letting these people in under false pretenses. " 

Her face paled. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. " 

"It wasn't her fault," Jason said. "But about that help..." 

Aelous tilted his head as if thinking. Then I realized the wind lord was listening to voices in his earpiece. 

"Well... Zeus approves," Aeolus muttered. "He says... he says it would be better if you could avoid saving her until after the weekend because he has a big party planned—Ow! That's Aphrodite yelling at him, reminding him that the solstice starts at dawn. She says I should help you. Apollo is somewhere there too, crying about the cancelled party... Oh yeah, he's also asking to remind his kids to listen to the last playlists he send them... And Hephaestus... yes. Hmm. Very rare those four agree on anything. Hold on..."

I smiled. Finally, we were having some good luck. Our godly parents were standing up for us. Maybe, I thought, they weren't so bad. Back toward the entrance, I heard a loud belch. Coach Hedge waddled in from the lobby, grass all over his face. Mellie saw him coming across the makeshift floor and caught her breath. "Who is that?" 

Jason stifled a cough. "That? That's just Coach Hedge. Uh, Gleeson Hedge. He's our..." Jason trailed off, obviously not knowing what to call the satyr. 

"Our guide." I said the first thing that occurred to me.

"He's so goatly," Mellie murmured. Behind her, Piper poofed out her cheeks, pretending to vomit, causing me to giggle.

"What's up, guys?" Hedge trotted over. "Wow, nice place. Oh! Sod squares. " 

"Coach, you just ate," Jason said. "And we're using the sod as a floor. This is, ah, Mellie—" 

"An aura. " Hedge smiled winningly. "Beautiful as a summer breeze. " 

Mellie blushed. I think I just built another ship. And it starting to sail too.

"And Aeolus here was just about to help us," Jason said. 

"Yes," the wind lord muttered. "It seems so. You'll find Enceladus on Mount Diablo. " 

"Devil Mountain?" Leo asked. "That doesn't sound good. " 

"I remember that place!" Piper said. "I went there once with my dad. It's just east of San Francisco Bay. " 

"The Bay Area again?" The coach shook his head. "Not good. Not good at all. " 

"Now..." Aeolus began to smile. "As to getting you there—" Suddenly his face went slack. He bent over and tapped his earpiece as if it were malfunctioning. When he straightened again, his eyes were wild. Despite the makeup, he looked like an old man—an old, very frightened man. "She hasn't spoken to me for centuries. I can't—yes, yes I understand. " He swallowed, regarding the us as if we had suddenly turned into a giant cockroach. Ew. I hate them too. "I'm sorry, son of Jupiter. New orders. You all have to die. " 

Mellie squeaked. "But—but, sir! Zeus said to help them. Aphrodite, Apollo, Hephaestus—" 

"Mellie!" Aeolus snapped. "Your job is already on the line. Besides, there are some orders that transcend even the wishes of the gods, especially when it comes to the forces of nature. " 

"Whose orders?" Jason said. "Zeus will fire you if you don't help us!" 

"I doubt it. " Aeolus flicked his wrist, and far below them, a cell door opened in the pit. I could hear storm spirits screaming out of it, spiraling up toward them, howling for blood. "Even Zeus understands the order of things," Aeolus said. "And if she is waking—by all the gods—she cannot be denied. Good-bye, heroes. I'm terribly sorry, but I'll have to make this quick. I'm back on the air in four minutes." 

Jason summoned his sword. I pulled out my quiver. Coach Hedge pulled out his club. Mellie the aura yelled, "No!" She dived at our feet just as the storm spirits hit with hurricane-force, blasting the floor to pieces, shredding the carpet samples and marble and linoleum into what should've been lethal projectiles, had Mellie's robes not spread out like a shield and absorbed the brunt of the impact. The six of us fell into the pit, and Aeolus screamed above them, "Mellie, you are so fired!" 

"Quick," Mellie yelled. "Son of Zeus, do you have any power over the air?" 

"A little!" 

"Then help me, or you're all dead!" Mellie grabbed Jason's hand, and my with her other. An electric charge went through my arm. I understood what she needed. We had to control our fall and head for one of the open tunnels. The storm spirits were following us, closing rapidly, bringing with them a cloud of deadly shrapnel. Jason grabbed Piper's hand, and I grabbed Leo's. "Group hug!" Hedge, Leo, Piper and I tried to huddle together, hanging on to Jason and Mellie as we fell. 

"This is NOT GOOD!" Leo yelled. 

"Why is it always heights?!" I yelled, thightling my grip on Leo's and Mellies hands.

"Bring it on, gas bags!" Hedge yelled up at the storm spirits. "I'll pulverize you!" 

"He's magnificent," Mellie sighed. 

"Concentrate?" Jason prompted. 

"Right!" she said. 

I had no idea what we did but we didn't die. And as far as I knew, I didn't have any broken bones at the moment. Still, we slammed into the tunnel at painful speed and went rolling over each other down a steep vent that was not designed for people. There was no way we could stop. Mellie's robes billowed around her. All of us clung to her desperately, and we began to slow down, but the storm spirits were screaming into the tunnel behind them. 

"Can't—hold—long," Mellie warned. "Stay together! When the winds hit—" 

"You're doing great, Mellie," Hedge said. "My own mama was an aura, you know. She couldn't have done better herself. " 

"Iris-message me?" Mellie pleaded. 

Hedge winked. 

"Could you guys plan your date later?" I screamed. In other situation I would be happy for them, but uh... Death didn't sound like something good. "Look!" Behind us, the tunnel was turning dark. I could feel my ears pop as the pressure built. 

"Can't hold them," Mellie warned. "But I'll try to shield you, do you one more favor. " 

"Thanks, Mellie," Jason said. "I hope you get a new job. " 

She smiled, and then dissolved, wrapping us in a warm gentle breeze. Then the real winds hit, shooting them into the sky so fast, I blacked out. 

Eventually I woke at a table at a sidewalk cafe. For a second, I thought that I was in Elysium.

It was a sunny morning. The air was brisk but not unpleasant for sitting outside. At the other tables, a mix of bicyclists, business people, and college kids sat chatting and drinking coffee. I could smell the eucalyptus trees. Lots of foot traffic passed in front of quaint little shops. The street was lined with bottle-brush trees and blooming azaleas as if winter was a foreign concept. In other words: I was in California. My friends sat in chairs around me—all of them with their hands calmly folded across their chests, dozing pleasantly, apart from Piper, who was sitting in her chair, grumbling. And they all had new clothes on. I frowned and looked down at myself.

"Για χάρη του Απόλλωνα...!" (For Apollo's sake!) I yelped louder than I meant. Jason flinched, bumping the table with his knees, which woke Leo and Hedge up.

"What?" Hedge demanded. "Fight who? Where?"

"Falling!" Leo grabbed the table. "No—not falling. Where are we?"

Jason blinked, looking around. He then focused on Piper and made a little choking sound. "What are you wearing?"

Piper blushed. She was wearing a pretty turquoise dress, with black leggings and black leather boots. She had on a silver charm bracelet, and an old snowboarding jacket, which amazingly went with the outfit pretty well. "It's nothing," she said. "It's my—It's nothing."

I looked back at myself. I was wearing a rather large and cozy brown sweater, dark blue tight jeans and black warm boots. As soon as I looked in the direction of the showcase of the cafe where we were sitting, in the reflection I immediately noticed that my hair was clean and as usual curled in different directions, and the bangs were under my magic hair clip. My camp necklace was on my neck. "I've never looked better..." I said, touching my hair carefully.

"You always look good, Sunshine." Leo winked at me, making me blush a little. Piper pulled out her knife, checking her reflection in the blade.

Leo grinned. "Aphrodite strikes again, huh? You're gonna be the best-dressed warriors in town, ladies."

"Hey, Leo. " Jason nudged his arm. "You look at yourself recently?"

"What... oh." He had been given a makeover too. Leo was wearing pinstriped pants, black leather shoes, a white collarless shirt with suspenders, and his tool belt, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a porkpie hat.

"Well, you look good, of course," I said, narrowing my eyes. "But that's not exactly our Leo. You need a little of dirt on your face."

"God, Leo. " Piper interrupted their moment. "I think my dad wore that to his last premiere, minus the tool belt."

"Hey, shut up!"

"I think he looks good," said Coach Hedge. "Course, I look better. " The satyr was a pastel nightmare. Aphrodite had given him a baggy canary yellow zoot suit with two-tone shoes that fit over his hooves. He had a matching yellow broad-brimmed hat, a rose-colored shirt, a baby blue tie, and a blue carnation in his lapel, which Hedge sniffed and then ate.

"Well," Jason said, "At least your mom overlooked me."

"Well, my dear cousin, It's not the her fault that the foundation wasn't good enough." I giggled, elbowing the guy. He glanced at me. "Okay, okay, sorry. Just a little bit of family teasing."

"Anyway," Piper said. "How did we get here?"

"Oh, that would be Mellie," Hedge said, chewing happily on his carnation. "Those winds shot us halfway across the country, I'd guess. We would've been smashed flat on impact, but Mellie's last gift—a nice soft breeze—cushioned our fall."

"And she got fired for us," Leo said. "Man, we suck. "

"Ah, she'll be fine," Hedge said. "Besides, she couldn't help herself. I've got that effect on nymphs. I'll send her a message when we're through with this quest and help her figure something out. That is one aura I could settle down with and raise a herd of baby goats. "

"I want to know how satyr marriage is going..." I thought to myself.

"I'm going to be sick," Piper said. "Anyone else want coffee?"

"Coffee!" Hedge's grin was stained blue from the flower. "I love coffee!"

"Um," Jason said, "But—money? Our packs?"

I looked down. Our packs were at our feet, and everything seemed to still be there. Piper reached into her coat pocket, felt about for something.

Leo whistled. "Allowance? Piper, your mom rocks!"

"Oh damn, I think I didn't used mortal money for years..." I chuckled.

"Waitress!" Hedge called. "Six double espressos, and whatever these guys want. Put it on the girl's tab. "

It didn't take us long to figure out where we were. The menus said "Café Verve, Walnut Creek, CA." And according to the waitress, it was 9 a.m. on December 21, the winter solstice, which gave us hours until Enceladus's deadline. We also didn't have to wonder where Mount Diablo was, either. We could see it on the horizon, right at the end of the street. After the Rockies, Mount Diablo didn't look very large, nor was it covered in snow. It seemed downright peaceful, its golden creases marbled with gray-green trees. But size was deceptive with mountains. It was probably much bigger up close. And appearances were deceptive too. Here they were—back in California with sunny skies, mild weather, laid-back people, and a plate of chocolate chip scones with coffee. And only a few miles away, somewhere on that peaceful mountain, a superpowerful, super-evil giant was about to have Piper's dad for lunch.

Leo pulled something out of his pocket—the old crayon drawing Aeolus had given him. Aphrodite must've thought it was important if she'd magically transferred it to his new outfit.

"What is that?" I asked, carefully.

Leo folded it up gingerly again and put it away. "Nothing. You don't want to see my kindergarten artwork. "

"It's more than that," Jason guessed. "Aeolus said it was the key to our success. "

Leo shook his head. "Not today. He was talking about... later. "

"By the way," said Jason, turning to me. "What did Aeolus said about you? Something about Hades and that the harpies found your necklace between our world and the underworld...?" Piper and Leo shared a look, and then glanced at me. I sighed. I knew that this moment will come eventually, but I wasn't ready enough. And the problem was that I would never be ready enough.

"Well, I think I really should tell you this finally, huh... Well, at August 17, right at the beggining of the Battle of Manhattan, at once the midnight passed I-..." I exhaled, collecting my thoughts. "I got to the side of the enemy using the Mist. Then, standing in the midst of Kronos’s army, I used my powers and brought down the solid daylight on as many Monsters as I could. And because I used too much power, and did this during the night - which meant that I controlled the light that was on the other side of earth - I... burned out."

Piper frowned. "What do you mean-...?"

"I died." I said it, looking at everything but my friends. "Remember that potion in Medea's store that heals from any diseases? So... My father has, or had, a couple of these. They very similar. He never tried them on anyone... Except me."

"Wait, what you're trying to say," Leo said. "That you died and Apollo got you back?"

"Well, not exactly." I looked at Leo, sheepishly, afraid that he will jump and run away. "He rather did not let me go. He blinded Thanatos with some light for a moment, used the poison and... Here I am." I looked at Piper and then Jason. "I was weak and had many burn mark's, but I was alive. Apollo teleported me to the hotel we used as our base. I told everyone that I was just injured and with my look they believed me easily. No one ever thought that I could die." I stopped. "No one, one of my friends, son of Hades."

"So you're telling me," Hedge said. "That you died, and less than a week after that, asked Chiron to send you to kill some monsters from Kronos's army?" He narrowed his eyes. I nodded. My hands were shaking and I didn't had any idea what they will do with me now. "Heh, well, you really are a tough one,   
Lambraques!"

"Wh-what...?" I looked at him, raising my eyebrows.

"I mean, wow!" The satyr laughed. "You died, and the first thing you decided to do was kill some monsters! I approve!"

Leo grinned. "Yeah, Sunshine, you shouldn't be so afraid of telling us this. What did you thought, that we will run away from you, screaming something about a Zombie apocalypse?" The guy laughed and petted my hand. "Nah, we're better than that."

"Leo's right," Piper smiled at me.

"But you-..." I looked at them, surpried. "You won't jadge me because I died and got back, and all the others who died - didn't...?"

"This wasn't your choice," Jason landed his hand at my shoulder, smiling as well. "Besides, now I have a cousin that literally escaped death. I think that's cool."

I looked at each and every one of them, beginning with Jason and finishing with Leo. They didn't seemed afraid, or disgusted, or whatever I was imagining myself they could do. They were just smiling at me.

"Now, what's our game plan?" Asked Leo enthusiastically. Coach Hedge belched. He'd already had three espressos and a plate of doughnuts, along with two napkins and another flower from the vase on the table. He would've eaten the silverware, except Piper, had slapped his hand.

"Climb the mountain," Hedge said. "Kill everything except Piper's dad. Leave. "

"Easy, huh." I smirked.

"Thank you, General Eisenhower," Jason grumbled.

"Hey, I'm just saying!"

"Guys," Piper said. "There's more you need to know. " Piper seemed to be struggling for words, but in the end, she told us our true enemy: Gaea and how she's bringing people back to life.

"Gaea?" Leo shook his head. "Isn't that Mother Nature? She's supposed to have, like, flowers in her hair and birds singing around her and deer and rabbits doing her laundry. "

"That's Snow White..." I mumbled, frowning.

"Okay, but—"

"Listen, cupcake. " Coach Hedge dabbed the espresso out of his goatee. "Piper's telling us some serious stuff, here. Gaea's no softie. I'm not even sure I could take her. "

Leo whistled. "Really?"

Hedge nodded. "This earth lady—she and her old man the sky were nasty customers. "

"Ouranos," Piper said, and I couldn't help looking up at the blue sky.

"Uh-huh," I said. "Ouranos, wasn't the best dad. He threw his first kids, the Cyclopes, into Tartarus. That made Gaea mad, but she bided her time. Then they had another set of kids—the Titans—and Gaea was afraid they'll get thrown into prison too, so she goes up to Kronos—"

"The big bad dude," Leo said. "The one they you last summer."

"Right. And Gaea's the one who gave him the scythe, and told him, 'Hey, why don't I call your dad down here? And while we making out, you can cut him to pieces. Then you can take over the world. Wouldn't that be great?'" Nobody said anything. I took a sip from my hot chocolate.

"Definitely not Snow White," Piper decided.

"Kronos was a bad guy," Hedge said. "But Gaea is literally the mother of all bad guys. She's so old and powerful, so huge, that it's hard for her to be fully conscious. Most of the time, she sleeps, and that's the way we like her—snoring." 

"But she talked to me and Al," Leo said. "How can she be asleep?"

Gleeson brushed crumbs off his canary yellow lapel. He was on his sixth espresso now, and his pupils were as big as quarters. "Even in her sleep, part of her consciousness is active—dreaming, keeping watch, doing little things like causing volcanoes to explode and monsters to rise. Even now, she's not fully awake. Believe me, you don't want to see her fully awake. "

"But she's getting more powerful," Piper said. "She's causing the giants to rise. And if their king comes back—this guy Porphyrion—"

"He'll raise an army to destroy the gods," Jason put in. "Starting with Hera. It'll be another war. And Gaea will wake up fully. "

"No one will be safe at the ground..." I said. "And I don't think that the barrier in Camp Half-Blood will help."

Gleeson nodded. "Which is why it's a good idea for us to stay off the ground as much as possible. "

Leo looked warily at Mount Diablo. "So... climbing a mountain. That would be bad. "

Piper's face darkened, and she looked down. I could understand why. First, she'd been asked to betray them. Now we were trying to help her rescue her dad even though we knew we were walking into a trap. The idea of fighting a giant had been scary enough. But the idea that Gaea was behind it—a force more powerful than a god or Titan...

"Guys, I can't ask you to do this," Piper said. "This is too dangerous. "

"You kidding?" Gleeson belched and showed us his blue carnation smile. "Who's ready to beat stuff up?"

I smiled at Piper across the table. "I always can say that I turned back to life for this moment. I didn't saved my mother, but I can help you save your dad. And I will."

"Sunshines, Beauty Queen," Leo backed up me. "As long as your dad gives me an autograph." I lightly shoved Leo but laughed along.

"Seriously though, Piper," Jason said. "You don't have to face things alone."

"Thank you, guys." Piper's voice was shaky.

"Well," I jumped up from my chair, getting excited. "I'm ready to beat stuff up!" I knew that the taxi couldn't take us all the way to the top nor did I hope it would. I doesn't want to bring a mortal who'll most likely die into the demigods' affairs. I didn't have to worry when the taxi made lurching, grinding sounds as it ascended the mountain road, and the way up they found the ranger's station shut, a chain blocking the way. 

"Far as I can go," the cabbie said. "You sure about this? Gonna be a long walk back, and my car's acting funny. I can't wait for you. " 

"Yeah, we're... sure. " I said, getting out, with Leo in a close second. I had a bad feeling about the whole place, and not because it was - again - a high mountain. When I tried to figure out what was wrong with the taxi, I saw that the wheels were sinking into the road like it was made of quicksand. Not fast—just enough to make the driver think he had a transmission problem or a bad axle—but the we knew different. The road was hard-packed dirt. No reason at all it should have been soft, but already our shoes were starting to sink. Gaea doesn't want us here and she's not hiding it either. Thankfully, the shoes that Piper's mom gave me was comfortable. While the rest of us got out, Leo paid the cabbie. 

"Keep the change," he said. "And get out of here. Quick. " The driver didn't argue. Soon all all could see was his dust trail. 

The view from the mountain was pretty amazing, though I still was holding to Leo's shirt, trying to calm down. The whole inland valley around Mount Diablo was a patchwork of towns—grids of tree-lined streets and nice middle-class suburbs, shops, and schools. All these normal people living normal lives—the kind I had never known. 

"That's Concord," Jason said, pointing to the north. "Walnut Creek below us. To the south, Danville, past those hills. And that way..." He pointed west, where a ridge of golden hills held back a layer of fog, like the rim of a bowl. "That's the Berkeley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Francisco. " 

"Jason?" Piper touched Jason's arm. "You remember something? You have been here?" 

"Yes... no. " he gave her an anguished look. "It just seems important. " 

"That's Titan land. " Coach Hedge nodded toward the west. "Bad place, Jason. Trust me, this is as close to 'Frisco as we want to get. " I noticed my feet almost completely embedded in the dirt, but thankfully none sipped slipped through the converses. 

"Hey, guys," Leo said. "Let's keep moving. " 

The others noticed the problem. "Gaea is stronger here," Hedge grumbled. He popped his hooves free from his shoes, then handed the shoes to Leo. "Keep those for me, Valdez. They're nice. " 

Leo snorted. "Yes, sir, Coach. Would you like them polished?" 

"That's varsity thinking, Valdez. " Hedge nodded approvingly. "But first, we'd better hike up this mountain while we still can. " 

"How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asked. 

I pointed toward the peak; drifting across the summit was a plume of smoke. From a distance, it looked like nothing but harmless clouds, but it wasn't. Something was burning. "Smoke equals fire?" I asked. "And I don't think anyone's chilling at this creepy mountain right now so it can only be Enceladus." 

Climbing a mountain is hard. But climbing a mountain when the earth was trying to swallow your feet was a whole different level of hard. I felt like the ground was pulling me down. Sometime along the trek, me and Leo had found each other's hands. We held on to each other in comfort and occasionally to pull each other when the other is starting to slow down or having a hard time walking. I missed my Camp clothes. In them I felt like I was a part of something - and even though I had my necklace back, it still didn't felt enough. And I missed Festus. Even though I hate heights, I'd like to ride on him and feel his warm bronze, than walk here...

Finally, Jason crouched behind a wall of rock. He gestured for the rest of us to do the same. Leo crawled up next to him, followed by me. Piper had to pull Coach Hedge down. 

"I don't want to get my outfit dirty!" Hedge complained. 

"Shhh!" Piper said. Reluctantly, the satyr knelt. Just over the ridge where we were hiding, in the shadow of the mountain's final crest, was a forested depression about the size of a football field, where the giant Enceladus had set up camp. Trees had been cut down to make a towering purple bonfire. The outer rim of the clearing was littered with extra logs and construction equipment—an earthmover; a big crane thing with rotating blades at the end like an electric shaver—must be a tree harvester, I thought—and a long metal column with an ax blade, like a sideways guillotine—a hydraulic ax. Why a giant needed construction equipment, I wasn't sure. I didn't see how the creature in front of me could even fit in the driver's seat.

To start with, Enceladus was thirty feet tall—easily as tall as the treetops. I was sure the giant could've seen them behind their ridge, but he seemed intent on the weird purple bonfire, circling it and chanting under his breath. From the waist up, the giant appeared humanoid, his muscular chest clad in bronze armor, decorated with flame designs. His arms were completely ripped. Each of his biceps was bigger than her. His skin was bronze but sooty with ash. His face was crudely shaped, like a half-finished clay figure, but his eyes glowed white, and his hair was matted in shaggy dreadlocks down to his shoulders, braided with bones. From the waist down, he was even more terrifying. His legs were scaly green, with claws instead of feet—like the forelegs of a dragon. In his hand, Enceladus held a spear the size of a flagpole. Every so often he dipped its tip in the fire, turning the metal molten red. 

"Okay," Coach Hedge whispered. "Here's the plan—" 

Leo elbowed him. "You're not charging him alone!" 

"Aw, c'mon. " 

"I'll go with him," I said, pulling my hair clip from my hair.

Leo smacked the back of my head. Wow. That was bold. "Are you kidding me?! You think you died onces and now you can do anything?!" I opened my mouth to say something, but Leo cut me off; "No one will bring you back this time."

"Leo's right, Al." Jason agreed. "I don't want to loose another family member."

I sighed, disappointedly. "Fine..."

Piper choked back a sob. "Look. " Just visible on the other side of the bonfire was a man tied to a post. His head slumped like he was unconscious, so I couldn't make out his face, but Piper didn't seem to have any doubts. "Dad," she said. 

I wished this was a Tristan McLean movie. Then Piper's dad would be faking unconsciousness. He'd untie his bonds and knock out the giant with some cleverly hidden anti-giant gas. Heroic music would start to play, and Tristan McLean would make his amazing escape, running away in slow motion while the mountainside exploded behind him. But this wasn't a movie. Tristan McLean was half dead and about to be eaten. The only people who could stop it—four fashionably dressed teenaged demigods and a megalomaniac goat. 

"There's five of us," Hedge whispered urgently. "And only one of him. " 

"Did you miss the fact that he's thirty feet tall?" Leo asked.

"Okay," Hedge said. "So you, me, Alex and Jason distract him. Piper sneaks around and frees her dad. " 

"It's not a completely horrible plan," I said thoughtfully before turning to Jason. Piper and Leo did either, to ask him for confirmation. We all looked at Jason. 

"What?" Jason asked. "I'm not the leader. " 

"Yes," Piper said. "You are. " 

"Why isn't Alex the leader? She's been on quests. Even died. She has experience..." 

"First of all, you are using my death in your interest's," I said. "And second; It's your quest. I'm not taking the credit."

"Okay." Jason took a deep breath. "Okay." We never really talked about it, but no one disagreed, not even Hedge. Coming this far had been a team effort, but when it came to a life-and-death decision, we knew Jason was the one to ask. Even if he had no memory, he had a kind of balance in him. Though I was in battle's before, I never lead them - I was always the Hawkeye of our army. Sitting somewhere and killing the enemies quietly. The one time it wasn't like that - I died.

"I hate to say it," Jason sighed, "But Coach Hedge is right. A distraction is Piper's best chance. " Not a good chance, I thought. Not even a survivable chance. Just their best chance. We couldn't sit there all day and talk about it, though. It had to be close to noon—the giant's deadline—and the ground was still trying to pull them down. My knees had already sunk two inches into the dirt. Leo looked at the construction equipment and then nudged my shoulder. He brought out a little toy he'd made on the climb.

"Let's boogie," he said. "Before I come to my senses. " The plan went wrong almost immediately, not that it surprised me that it did. Piper scrambled along the ridge, trying to keep her head down, while I, Leo, Jason, and Coach Hedge walked straight into the clearing. Jason summoned his golden lance, and I transformed my hair clip to the bow.

He brandished it over his head and yelled, "Giant!" Which sounded pretty good, and a lot more confident. I was thinking more along the lines of, 'your so ugly, your mom could sell you to a modern art museum!' which admittedly, is not a good idea seeing as his mom is Gaea who wants me and my friends dead. Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward them and grinned, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's. 

"Well," the giant rumbled. "What a nice surprise. " You know, I don't know why, but I didn't like the sound of that. I nudged Leo, and his hand closed on his windup gadget. He stepped sideways, edging his way toward the bulldozer. 

Coach Hedge shouted, "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up your—" 

"Coach," Jason said. "Shut up. " 

Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals." 

"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowned at me. "I don't think that was a compliment."

I shrugged; "I'm bad at giants humour."

Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow. 

"Scatter!" Leo yelled. 

Jason and Hedge dove to the left as the giant blew fire, and I ducked right — a furnace blast so hot even Festus would've been jealous. Leo dodged behind the bulldozer, wound up his homemade device, and dropped it into the driver's seat. Then he ran to the right, heading for the tree harvester. 

Jason stood and charge the giant. I did the same - firing three arrows at once, aiming to his face. Coach Hedge ripped off his canary yellow jacket, which was now on fire, and bleated angrily. "I liked that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too. Before we could get very far, Enceladus slammed his spear against the ground. The entire mountain shook. The shockwave sent Leo sprawling. Coach Hedge was knocked out cold. He'd fallen forward and hit his head on a log. His furry hindquarters were sticking straight up. At the corner of my eyes, I saw Jason staggering to his feet. Somehow I managed to stay standing. Maybe the sailing lessons from Percy at camp really helped me to keep my balance sometimes.

The giant bellowed, "I see you, Piper McLean!" He turned and blew fire at a line of bushes to Leo's right. Piper ran into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her. Enceladus laughed. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!" I wanted to empty an entire quiver full of arrows to his chest, but it would do nothing. This was the moment Piper had warned us about. We played right into Enceladus's hands. 

The giant laughed at Leo, seeing the look on his face. "That's right, son of Hephaestus. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you, I'm as good as my word. She can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star?" 

I could see Piper's dad more clearly now. He wore a ragged dress shirt and torn slacks. His bare feet were caked with mud. He wasn't completely unconscious, because he lifted his head and groaned—yep, Tristan McLean all right. But he had a nasty cut down the side of his face, and he looked thin and sickly—not heroic at all. 

"Dad!" Piper yelled. 

Mr. McLean blinked, trying to focus. "Pipes...? Where..." 

Piper drew her dagger and faced Enceladus. "Let him go!" 

"Of course, dear," the giant rumbled. "Swear your loyalty to me, and we have no problem. Only these others must die. " Piper looked back and forth between Leo and her dad. 

"He'll kill you," Leo warned. "Don't trust him!" 

"Oh, come now," Enceladus bellowed. "You know I was born to fight Athena herself? Mother Gaea made each of us giants with a specific purpose, designed to fight and destroy a particular god. I was Athena's nemesis, the anti-Athena, you might say. Compared to some of my brethren—I am small! But I am clever. And I keep my bargain with you, Piper McLean. It's part of my plan!" 

"Don't listen to him, Piper!" I screamed. Jason was on his feet now, lance ready; but before he could act, Enceladus roared—a call so loud it echoed down the valley and was probably heard all the way to San Francisco. 

At the edge, the woods, half a dozen ogre-like creatures rose up. I grimaced. "Shit. More dirt."


	10. Chapter 10

The ogres shuffled forward. They were small compared to Enceladus, about seven feet tall. Each one of them had six arms—one pair in the regular spot, then an extra pair sprouting out the top of their shoulders, and another set shooting from the sides of their rib cages. They wore only ragged leather loincloths, and even across the clearing, I could smell them. Six guys who never bathed, with six armpits each. If I'll survive until I get back to camp, I will spend all the day at the showers.

"What—what are those?" Leo asked Piper.

"Gegenees." I said, pulling the bowstring.

"In English?" Leo asked.

"The Earthborn," Piper said. "Six-armed giants who fought Jason—the first Jason."

"Very good, my dear!" Enceladus sounded delighted. "They used to live in a miserable place in Greece called Bear Mountain. Mount Diablo is much nicer! They are lesser children of Mother Earth, but they serve their purpose. They're good with construction equipment—"

"They're dumb," I said, shaking my head slowly. "And that's our only advantage."

"Vroom, vroom!" one of the Earthborn bellowed, and the others took up the chant, each moving his six hands as though driving a car as if it were some kind of weird religious ritual. "Vroom, vroom!"

"Yes, thank you, boys," Encedalus said. "They also have a score to settle with heroes. Especially anyone named Jason."

"Yay-son!" the Earthborn screamed. They all picked up clumps of earth, which solidified in their hands, turning to nasty pointed stones. "Where Yay-son? Kill Yay-son!"

I didn't wanted to laugh. This was a serious moment. But I sniffed, holding a chuckle. Yay-son...

Enceladus smiled. "You see, Piper, you have a choice. Save your father, or ah, try to save your friends and face certain death."

Piper stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with such rage, even the Earthborn backed away. She radiated power and beauty, but it had nothing to do with her clothes or her makeup. "You will not take the people I love," she said. "None of them."

Her words rippled across the clearing with such force, the Earthborn muttered, "Okay. Okay, sorry," and began to retreat.

"Stand your ground, fools!" Enceladus bellowed. He snarled at Piper. "This is why we wanted you alive, my dear. You could have been so useful to us. But as you wish. Earth-born! I will show you, Jason."I was ready to fight the monsters when tey will run to our direction, but the giant didn't point to Jason. He pointed to the other side of the bonfire, where Tristan McLean hung helpless and half-conscious.

We shared a look. Woohoo, let's beat the shit out of this guys. Jason charged Enceladus, while Piper rushed to her father, Leo dashed for the tree harvester and I fired an arrow, killing one of the dumb Earth-guys. One of them turned to me and attacked me; I kicked him in the face with my bow, and then on the leg with my knee - and jumped to the side. When he fell face-first into the ground, I fired another arrow, killing him too.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Piper at the stake, cutting her father free. On the other side of the clearing, Jason fought the giant, somehow managing to dodge his massive spear and blasts of fire breath, Leo riding the tree harvester and killing some of the ogres as well while Coach Hedge was still heroically passed out with his goat tail sticking up in the air.

Unfortunately, one of those who was still alive attacked me from behind. He lifted me in the air above his head and threw me forward - I fell almost at the very edge of the mountain. My legs began to slide, but I stuck an arrow into the ground and pulled myself up with it, because the earth was still pulling me in slightly. I could see Leo was fighting a few ogres as well as he tried to make sure none make it to Piper and her dad, but her Leo seems to have it handled so I focussed on killing this one bastard that made my back hurt.

I ducked under one, letting the arrowhead of of the arrow that was in my hand cut the earthguy that was closer than others. 

"Yay, three-zero, dumbasses!" I laughed, making Leo and Piper look at me with shock.

"You're too excited." Leo muttered, trying to catch his breath. However, the battle isn't over. Jason was still fighting the giant Enceladus—and it wasn't going well. The battle went in fully-fledged. When Jason's lance broke, he knew he condemned him to death. But just as Enceladus came in for a final strike, I quickly shot an arrow in his eye, temporarily blinding him.

"You owe me, Yay-son!" I laughed again. I was standing on the roof of the tree harvester, shooting arrows and killing the earth guys, trying not to let them get closer to Piper and her dad.

Jason rolled away from the giant's first spear thrust and jabbed Enceladus in the ankle. His javelin managed to pierce the thick dragon hide, and golden ichor—the blood of immortals—trickled down the giant's clawed foot. Enceladus bellowed in pain and blasted him with fire. Jason scrambled away, rolling behind the giant, and struck again behind his knee.

It went on like that for seconds, minutes—it was hard to judge.

Enceladus's spear missed Jason by a millimeter. Jason kept dodging, but the ground stuck to his feet. Gaea was getting stronger, and the giant was getting faster. Enceladus might be slow, but he wasn't dumb. He began anticipating Jason's moves, and his attacks were only annoying him, making him more enraged.

"I'm not some minor monster," Enceladus bellowed. "I am a giant, born to destroy gods! Your little golden toothpicks can't kill me, demigods!"

Jason raised his javelin to block the giant's next strike—a big mistake. He managed to deflect the spear, but it grazed his shoulder, and his arm dropped. He backed up, almost tripping over a burning log. Jason retreated, trying to lure the giant to the edge of the clearing. Enceladus could sense he was tired. I pulled the bowstring and fired an arrow aiming to his nose - it could give Jason a minute to rest, but the giant raised his hand and an arrow stuck into his palm. He grimaced and pulled it out like a simple annoying splinter.

Then the giant smiled, baring his fangs. "The mighty Jason Grace and the girl with the name of the old city." he taunted. "Yes, we know about you two, son of Jupiter and the daughter of Apollo. The one who led the assault on Mount Othrys and single-handedly slew the Titan Krios and toppled the black throne and the one who didn't reached the underworld."

I frowned while Jason's face went blank with recognition. How did they all know. I thought that dad and Hades was the only ones... "What are you talking about?" Jason asked. He must've realized his mistake when Enceladus breathed fire. Distracted, Jason moved too slowly. The blast missed him, but heat blistered his back. He slammed into the ground, his clothes smoldering. He was choking as he tried to breathe. He scrambled back as the giant's spear cleaved the ground between his feet. If Jason could only summon one good blast of lightning—but he was already drained, and in this condition, the effort might kill him. We didn't even know if electricity would harm the giant.

One last try: Jason charged. Enceladus let him approach, grinning with anticipation. At the last second, Jason faked a strike and rolled between the giant's legs. He came up quickly, thrusting with all his might, ready to stab the giant in the small of his back, but Enceladus anticipated the trick. He stepped aside with too much speed and agility for a giant as if the earth were helping him move. He swept his spear sideways, met Jason's javelin—and with a snap like a shotgun blast, the golden weapon shattered. The explosion was hotter than the giant's breath, blinding me with golden light. The force knocked me off my feet, causing me to fall to the ground. 

Jason was sitting at the rim of a crater. Enceladus stood at the other side, staggering and confused. The javelin's destruction had released so much energy, it had blasted a perfect cone-shaped pit thirty feet deep, fusing the dirt and rock into a slick glassy substance. Jason wasn't sure how he'd survived, but his clothes were steaming. I groaned, standing back on my feet. All this quest we fell and fell and fell... But still we didn't failed yet. Otherwise, Festus's death was waisted.

"Maybe I really got back for this moment..." I mumbled, grabbed my bow from the ground and pulled the bowstring, running lamely to the huge legs of Enceladus. My arrow didn’t cut into the giant’s skin - instead, it flew, leaving a long scratch on the giant’s huge leg from which the golden blood began to protrude. He saw me and grabbed me, pulling me from the ground. "Hey, damn giant Enchilada, put me down, now!" I screamed, twitching and kicking in his grasp. 

Jason was out of energy. He had no weapon. He couldn't save me. And Enceladus was still very much alive. Jason tried to get up, but his legs were like lead. "Impressive! Unfortunately, that was your last trick, demigod." Enceladus laughed, shaking me. "And now," he said, raising the hand in which he held me. "My first sacrifice to Gaea!"

"No!" Jason screamed.

And Enceladus threw me like baseball players throw a ball. The wind was whistling in my ears, my eyes were watery due to speed, and I closed them. I did not know how close the earth was, and I didn't wanted to know. I imagined Leo - he stood with his hands on his hips, looking reproachfully at me; “Well, I asked you not to die, didn’t I?” I smiled to myself despite the fact that my heart sank in fear. I remembered the feeling that I experienced less than half a year ago. Cold and fear, but at the same time such an unusual calm that I have not experienced since the childhood. The calm that comes when you know exactly what awaits you. But now I didn't feel this calm. I was afraid of it, because I knew what would happen as soon as I humble myself.

And then I stopped hearing anything. My fall has stopped. I didn’t feel the blow, but I didn’t know if I should have. I was afraid to open my eyes, but I did when I heard a voice;

"This is the second time in this year, Lambrakes. The second yellow card. Next time red - and out of life." I was in the arms of a guy. His skin was dark and shiny. The eyes are honey golden. Flexible and muscular, with a regal face and black hair flowing over his shoulders, and his wings shimmered with blue, black and scarlet colours. We soared about fifteen meters above the ground. Everything around us seemed to freeze - there was no wind, the bird that flew nearby flapped its wings in slow motion.

“Actually,” I said hoarsely. "In football, they give out three yellow cards."

"Yes?" Thanatos shrugged. "It doesn’t matter, in my version it's two. Next time I’ll take you anyway."

"But not now?" I stared at the guy who was also the god of death.

"Well, for your happiness or sorrow - it's up to you to decide - I can't let you die." Thanatos explained. "An order from Hades himself, you know. He will have so much paper work because of you, you just can’t imagine."

"Hades ordered you... to save me from death?" I tried to mentally digest what the god had just told me.

"Well yes." he nodded. "That's exactly it."

"But why?" I blinked, without understanding.

"Well, someone declared you his first sacrifice to Gaea." Thanatos nodded in an uncertain direction, referring to the giant who threw me here. "Hades he's, you know, not very happy with the possibility of reuniting with his precious grandmother. Considering the fact that she is already starting to disturb the underworld. If you die being the first victim of Gaea, this will speed up the process of her awakening. Understood?"

“Yeah...” I nodded.

“That's good,” the guy intercepted me more comfortably. "Now hold on, we'll quickly fly back and pretend nothing happened." and we flew at incredible speed in the direction of the mountain, to where my friends were.

The first thing that I saw when we were about ten meters from Mountain Diablo, was the giant, Enceladus, that raised his spear, its tip hovering six feet over Jason's chest.

"No, no, no..." I mumbled, and almost fell from Thanatos hands. 

"Hey!" Thanatos said, holding me tighter. "You mustn't die, you remember?"

I nodded and heard Leo's yell, "Heads up!" A large black metal wedge slammed into Enceladus with a massive thunk! The giant toppled over and slid into the pit.

"Jason, get up!" Piper called. He sat up while Piper grabbed him under his arms and hauled him to his feet.

"Don't die on me," she ordered. "You are not dying on-..." Piper stopped short, her eyes fixed on me and Thanatos when we landed at the edge of the crater that was created not so long ago.

"Well, my idea not to attract attention failed. Sorry." the guy patted my shoulder and took off above the ground, spreading his beautiful wings. "I hope we don't meet in the coming years. Although your pretty fun." the god winked and threw me something. I caught it, and it turned out that this 'something' was my magic hair clip. "Bye, Ria!" and the guy flew away, immediately disappearing into the clouds.

A hundred feet behind me, Leo was standing over a piece of construction equipment—a long cannonlike thing with a single massive piston, the edge broken clean off. "Wha-what..? Sunshine...?!"

"Hey~!" I sang, waving already with a bow in my hand. "You thought I'll die so easy? I'm disappointed, guys. Really." I turned to Enceladus and started shooting an arrow after arrow in his face. "And I hope you're disappointed too!" Enceladus was struggling to rise with every arrow shot by me he fell back down, an ax blade the size of a washing machine stuck in his breastplate. Amazingly, the giant managed to pull the ax blade free. He yelled in pain and the mountain trembled. Golden ichor soaked the front of his armor, but Enceladus stood.

Shakily, he bent down and retrieved his spear. "Good try." The giant winced. "But I cannot be beaten." As we watched, the giant's armor mended itself, and the ichor stopped flowing. Even the cuts on his dragon-scale legs, which Jason and I had worked so hard to make, were now just pale scars.

Leo ran up to us, saw the giant, and cursed. "What is it with this guy? Die, already!"

"My fate is preordained," Enceladus said. "Giants cannot be killed by gods or heroes."

"Only by both," I said. The giant's smile faltered, and I saw in his eyes something like fear. "It's true, isn't it? Gods and demigods have to work together to kill you."

"That dude who just dumped, isn't he a god?" Leo asked. "Can you call him again to help us?"

"Thanatos doesn't interfere in the affairs of the demigods." I said. "He is the god of death, so if you do not have the urge to die, he will not help."

"You will not live long enough to even try!" Enceladus started stumbling up the crater's slope, slipping on the glassy sides.

"Anyone have a god handy?" Leo asked. 

I looked at the sky, and more correctly; at the sun. "Please, dad." I mattered quitely, "Father, Apollo... Please. I know that will never be able to repay you for not letting me die, but I did not ask you to do this, although I am infinitely grateful for that. Please. Help me."

"Leo," Jason said, "If you've got a rope in that tool belt, get it ready." He leaped at the giant with no weapon but his bare hands.

"Enceladus!" Piper yelled. "Look behind you!" It was an obvious trick, but her voice was so compelling, even I bought it. 

The giant said, "What?" and turned like there was an enormous spider on his back. Jason tackled his legs at just the right moment. The giant lost his balance. Enceladus slammed into the crater and slid to the bottom. While he tried to rise, Jason put his arms around the giant's neck. When Enceladus struggled to his feet, Jason was riding his shoulders.

"Get off!" Enceladus screamed. He tried to grab Jason's legs, but Jason scrabbled around, squirming and climbing over the giant's hair. Suddenly I could smell the metallic scent of a storm. Darkness swallowed the sun. The giant froze, sensing it too.

Jason yelled, "Hit the deck!" And every hair on his head stood straight up. Crack! Lightning surged through Jason's body, straight through Enceladus, and into the ground. The giant's back stiffened, and Jason was thrown clear. He was slipping down the side of the crater, and the crater was cracking open. 

The lightning bolt had split the mountain itself. The earth rumbled and tore apart, and Enceladus's legs slid into the chasm. He clawed helplessly at the glassy sides of the pit, and just for a moment managed to hold on to the edge, his hands trembling. He fixed Jason with a look of hatred. "You've won nothing, boy. My brothers are rising, and they are ten times as strong as I. We will destroy the gods at their roots! You will die, and Olympus will die with—"

The arrow that I previously attached to the bow was lit up by a golden light and I can swear that I heard father's voice say: "Don't forget the playlist!". My hands moved by themselves, and I shoot the arrow in the giant Enceladus's mouth. The giant froze for a minute, I saw the arrow went up to his throat and exploded in it, illuminating the giant from the inside. He lost his grip and fell into the crevice. The earth shook. Jason fell toward the rift.

"Grab hold!" Leo yelled. Jason's feet were at the edge of the chasm when he grabbed the rope, and Leo, Piper amd I pulled him up.

I hugged him tightly; "Not loosing cousins again, Grace, I think we agreed on that."

"Your not the one to say that, Al." Jason smiled, pulling back from the hug. 

And then I felt like someone smacked the back of my head. "What the heck was that with... What's his name? Thanatos?" Leo asked, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "You died again, or-...?"

"I didn't die." I said simply. "Thanatos said that my death as Enceladus's sacrifice to Gaea could speed up the process of her awakening, so he got an order from Hades to save me." 

"And the shining arrow...?" Piper asked, pointing at my bow.

"I think... A little parenting help." I shrugged, smiling. We stood together, exhausted and terrified, as the chasm closed like an angry mouth. The ground stopped pulling at their feet. For now, Gaea was gone. The mountainside was on fire. Smoke billowed hundreds of feet into the air. I spotted a helicopter—maybe firefighters or reporters—coming toward us. All around us was carnage. The Earthborn had melted into piles of clay, leaving behind only their rock missiles and some nasty bits of loincloth, but I figured they would re-form soon enough. Construction equipment lay in ruins. The ground was scarred and blackened.

Coach Hedge started to move. He sat up with a groan and rubbed his head. His canary yellow pants were now the color of Dijon mustard mixed with mud. He blinked and looked around him at the battle scene. "Did I do this?" Before we could reply, Hedge picked up his club and got shakily to his feet. "Yeah, you wanted some hoof? I gave you some hoof, cupcakes! Who's the goat, huh?" He did a little dance, kicking rocks and making what were probably rude satyr gestures at the piles of clay. Leo cracked a smile, and Jason couldn't help it—he started to laugh and I joined in; throwing my head back. 

Then a man stood up across the clearing. Tristan McLean staggered forward. His eyes were hollow, shell-shocked, like someone who'd just walked through a nuclear wasteland. "Piper?" he called. His voice cracked. "Pipes, what—what is—" He couldn't complete the thought. Piper ran over to him and hugged him tightly, but he almost didn't seem to know her.

I think Jason had felt a similar way—that morning at the Grand Canyon when he woke up with no memory. But Mr. McLean had the opposite problem. He had too many memories, too much trauma his mind just couldn't handle. He was coming apart.

"We need to get him out of here," Jason said.

"Yeah, but how?" Leo said. "He's in no shape to walk."

Jason glanced up at the helicopter, which was now circling directly overhead. "Can you make us a bullhorn or something?" he asked Leo. "Piper has some talking to do.

You know, borrowing the helicopter was easy. Getting Piper's dad on board was not. Piper needed only a few words through Leo's improvised bullhorn to convince the pilot to land on the mountain. The Park Service copter was big enough for medical evacuations or search and rescue, and when Piper told the very nice ranger pilot lady that it would be a great idea to fly them to the Oakland Airport, she readily agreed.

"No," her dad muttered, as we picked him up off the ground. "Piper, what—there were monsters—there were monsters—" Piper needed all three of us to help to hold him, while Coach Hedge gathered our supplies. Fortunately, Hedge had put his pants and shoes back on, so we didn't have to explain the goat legs. 

"It'll be okay, Dad," Piper said, making her voice as soothing as possible. "These people are my friends. We're going to help you. You're safe now."

He blinked and looked up at helicopter rotors. "Blades. They had a machine with so many blades. They had six arms..."

When they got him to the bay doors, the pilot came over to help. "What's wrong with him?" she asked.

"Smoke inhalation," Jason suggested. "Or heat exhaustion."

"We should get him to a hospital," the pilot said.

"It's okay," Piper said. "The airport is good."

"Yeah, the airport is good," the pilot agreed immediately. Then she frowned, as if uncertain why she'd changed her mind. "Isn't he Tristan McLean, the movie star?"

"No," Piper said. "He only looks like him. Forget it."

"Yeah," the pilot said. "Only looks like him. I—" She blinked, confused. "I forgot what I was saying. Let's get going." Jason raised his eyebrows at Piper, obviously impressed, but Piper looked miserable.

"Piper." Her dad grasped her hand and held on like he was afraid he'd fall. "It's you? They told me—they told me you would die. They said... horrible things would happen."

"It's me, Dad." Piper looked on the verge of tears. "Everything's going to be okay."

"They were monsters," he said. "Real monsters. Earth spirits, right out of Grandpa Tom's stories—and the Earth Mother was angry with me. And the giant, Tsul'kälû, breathing fire—" He focused on Piper again, his eyes like broken glass, reflecting a crazy kind of light. "They said you were a demigod. Your mother was..."

"Aphrodite," Piper said. "Goddess of love."

"I—I—" He took a shaky breath, then seemed to forget how to exhale.

We were careful not to watch. Leo fiddled with a lug nut from his tool belt. Jason gazed at the valley below—the roads backing up as mortals stopped their cars and gawked at the burning mountain. Gleeson chewed on the stub of his carnation, and for once the satyr didn't look in the mood to yell or boast. And I slowly tied the threads sticking out of my torn sweater, closing the hole, though have no idea from where it came. Tristan McLean wasn't supposed to be seen like this. He was a star. He was confident, stylish, suave—always in control. That was the public image he projected.

"I didn't know about Mom," Piper told him. "Not until you were taken. When we found out where you were, we came right away. My friends helped me. No one will hurt you again."

Her dad couldn't stop shivering. "You're heroes—you and your friends. I can't believe it. You're a real hero, not like me. Not playing a part. I'm so proud of you, Pipes." But the words were muttered listlessly, in a semi-trance.

He gazed down on the valley, and his grip on Piper's hand went slack. "Your mother never told me."

"She thought it was for the best." It sounded lame, and no amount of charmspeak could change that. Piper held his hand, speaking to him about small things—her time at the Wilderness School, her cabin at Camp Half-Blood. She told him how Coach Hedge ate carnations and got knocked on his butt in Mount Diablo, how Leo had tamed a dragon, how Jason had made wolves back down by talking in Latin, she also told him about my fear of heights and how I didn't want to open my eyes when we first rided Festus, but stayed up all night to see the stars. We smiled reluctantly as she recounted our adventures. Her dad seemed to relax as she talked, but he didn't smile. As we passed over the hills into the East Bay, Jason tensed. He leaned so far out the doorway I was afraid he'd fall.

He pointed. "What is that?"

I looked down, reluctantly. I saw a highway cut through a tunnel in the hills, connecting the East Bay with the inland towns.

"Where?" Piper asked.

"That road," Jason said. "The one that goes through the hills."

"The pilot says it's Highway 24," Piper reported. "That's the Caldecott Tunnel. Why?" Jason stared intently at the tunnel entrance, but he said nothing. It disappeared from view as they flew over downtown Oakland, but Jason stared into the distance, his expression almost as unsettled as Piper's dad.

"Monsters," her dad said, a tear tracing his cheek. "I live in a world of monsters."

Air traffic control didn't want to let an unscheduled helicopter land at the Oakland Airport—until Piper got on the radio. Then it turned out to be no problem. We unloaded on the tarmac, and everyone looked at Piper, asking the silent question of what would happen to her dad now.

"What now?" Jason asked her.

She looked uncomfortable. But she pulled herself together to say, "First thing," she said. "I—I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."

Our faces fell.

"Oh," Leo said. "I mean, absolutely. He needs you right now. We can take it from here."

"Leo's right, Piper," I said, patting her shoulder. "We understand. I'll kick some asses for you?" I grinned.

"Pipes, no." Her dad had been sitting in the helicopter doorway, a blanket around his shoulders. But he stumbled to his feet. "You have a mission. A quest. I can't—"

"I'll take care of him," said Coach Hedge.

Piper stared at him. The satyr was the last person anyone would expect to offer. Piper seemed to have gotten the same idea. "You?" she asked.

"I'm a protector," Gleeson said. "That's my job, not fighting." Hedge straightened and set his jaw. "Of course, I'm good at fighting, too." He glared at us all, daring them to argue.

"Yes," Jason said.

"Terrifying," Leo agreed.

"A real fight-goat." Leo snorted at my words.

"But I'm a protector, and I can do this. Your dad's right, Piper. You need to carry on with the quest."

"But ..." Piper hesitated. "Dad..."

He held out his arms, and she hugged him. I averted her eyes, meeting Leo's, both of them not wanting to intrude the obviously intimate moment with the father-daughter duo.

"Let's give them a minute," Jason said, and we took the pilot a few yards down the tarmac.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Leo asked.

"Coach? Of course, " I smiled. "And Pipe's dad either."

Jason nodded in agreement. "They'll both be fine."

"How are you feeling after you almost died?" Leo asked me, his eyes searching for any injuries that I may have, but I bad only minor abrasions and scratches with bruises all over my body.

"Nah, I'm already used to it." I chuckled. We kept quiet pretended not to hear the exchange between Piper and her father and patiently waited for the two to finish.

Suddenly Tristan McLean collapsed behind us, and we rushed to help. "Got him," Hedge said. The satyr stumbled, but he was strong enough to hold Tristan McLean upright. "I already asked our ranger friend to call up his plane. It's on the way now. Home address?" Piper was about to tell him, but she checked her dad's pocket, finding a BlackBerry was still there. It seemed bizarre that he'd still have something so normal after all he'd been through. "Everything's on here," Piper said. "Address, his chauffeur's number. Just watch out for Jane."

Hedge's eyes lit up like he sensed a possible fight. "Who's Jane?" By the time Piper explained, her dad's sleek white Gulf-stream had taxied next to the helicopter. Hedge and the flight attendant got Piper's dad on board. Then Hedge came down one last time to say his good-byes. He surprised me with a hug, saying; "Be careful, Sun." 

"Even you, Hedge?!" I laughed, rubbing his back.

The satyr pulled back and glared at Leo and Jason; "You cupcakes take care of these girls, you hear? Or I'm gonna make you do push-ups."

"You got it, Coach," said Leo, putting his hand on my head and disheveled my hair, forcing me to shake off his hand.

"No push-ups," Jason promised.

Piper gave the old satyr a hug too. "Thank you, Gleeson. Take care of him, please."

"I got this, McLean," he assured her. "They got root beers and veggie enchiladas on this flight, and one hundred percent linen napkins—yum! I could get used to this."

Trotting up the stairs, he lost one shoe, and his hoof was visible for just a second. The flight attendant's eyes widened, but she looked away and pretended nothing was wrong. When the plane was heading down the runaway, Piper started to cry. She'd been holding it in too long and she just couldn't anymore. I quickly wrapped my arms around her.

"Hey, Pipes, everything is alright," I smiled at her. "Hedge wont eat your dad. But I'm not sure about the crew..." I joked, and caused Piper to smile slightly, still sobbing. I held her for another moment, before she pulled away and wiping her tears.

"You know," Piper said. "I think that Hedge and Leo are right."

"Huh?" I looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You're really like the sun." She smiled.

"Wha-... I mean, yeah, Apollo and stuff?" I laughed.

"No, I think Piper means your behaviour," Jason smiled too.

"Like, I'm hot and sometimes annoying at summer?" I joked, causing my friends to laugh. Then, right next to Jason, the air began to shimmer. At first, I thought it was heat off the tarmac, or maybe gas fumes from the helicopter, but it was an Iris message. An image appeared in the air—a dark-haired girl in silver winter camouflage, holding a bow.

Jason stumbled back in surprise. "Thalia!"

"Thank the gods," said the Hunter. The scene behind her was hard to make out but I heard yelling, metal clashing on metal and explosions. "We've found her," Thalia said. "Where are you?"

"Oakland," he said. "Where are you?"

"The Wolf House! Oakland is good; you're not too far. We're holding off the giant's minions, but we can't hold them forever. Get here before sunset, or it's all over."

"Then it's not too late?" Piper cried. Hope surged through us, but Thalia's expression quickly dampened it.

"Not yet," Thalia said. "But Jason—it's worse than I realized. Porphyrion is rising. Hurry."

"But where is the Wolf House?" he pleaded.

"Our last trip," Thalia said, her image starting to flicker. "The park. Jack London. Remember?" This made no sense to me, but Jason looked like he'd been shot. He tottered, his face pale, and the Iris message disappeared.

"Bro, you all right?" Leo asked. "You know where she is?"

"Yes," Jason said. "Sonoma Valley. Not far. Not by air." I turned to the ranger pilot, who'd been watching all this with an increasingly puzzled expression.

"Ma'am," Piper said with her best smile. "You don't mind helping us one more time, do you?"

"I don't mind," the pilot agreed.

"We can't take a mortal into battle," Jason said. "It's too dangerous." He turned to Leo. "Do you think you could fly this thing?"

"Um..." Leo put his hand on the side of the helicopter, concentrating hard as if listening to the machine.

"Bell 412HP utility helicopter," Leo said. "Composite four-blade main rotor, cruising speed twenty-two knots, service ceiling twenty-thousand feet. The tank is near full. Sure, I can fly it."

"This is one of the moments when I like you more than usual." I said, jumping next to him and squeezing his hand.

"What about your fear of heights?" Leo laughed.

"Oh, I still terrified." I said with a serious face. "But I rather be terrified from the height, than the living, walking giant."

"You don't have a problem with an under-aged unlicensed kid borrowing your copter, do you?" Asked Piper. "We'll return it." As if the ranger could deny her from anything she wanted.

"I—" The pilot nearly choked on the words, but she got them out: "I don't have a problem with that."

Leo grinned. "Hop in, kids. Uncle Leo's gonna take you for a ride."

"I'm sitting at the front." I said, mentally preparing myself.

"Why?" Jason asked.

"To hold Leo's shirt..." I said quietly, blushing, making my cousin and Piper to exchange a look.

The sun was going down as we flew north over the Richmond Bridge, and I couldn't believe the day had gone so quickly. Once again, nothing like ADHD and a good fight to the death to make time fly. Piloting the chopper, Leo was going pretty steady. Leo would pause for some time, and then start flipping switches, pushing buttons. Then he would go silent again. This continued, until-

"How are you?" I asked from the copilot's seat. I really holded Leo's shirt, like I said, trying to calm down.

"Fine," he said. "So what's the Wolf House?"

Jason knelt between their seats. "An abandoned mansion in the Sonoma Valley. A demigod built it—Jack London."

Leo couldn't seem to place the name. "He an actor?"

"Writer," I said. "I don't remember the names of his books, but I know that he was a popular writer."

"Yeah," Jason said. "He was a son of Mercury—I mean, Hermes. He was an adventurer, traveled the world. He was even a hobo for a while. Then he made a fortune writing. He bought a big ranch in the country and decided to build this huge mansion—the Wolf House."

"Named that 'cause he wrote about wolves?" Leo guessed.

"Partially," Jason said. "But the site, and the reason he wrote about wolves—he was dropping hints about his personal experience. There're a lot of holes in his life story—how he was born, who his dad was, why he wandered around so much—stuff you can only explain if you know he was a demigod."

"Uh-huh," I said. "Hermes... Yeah, sounds logical, I think." The bay slipped behind us, and the helicopter continued north. Ahead of us, yellow hills rolled out as far as I could see. "So Jack London went to the Camp Half-Blood...?"

"No," Jason said. "No, he didn't."

"Bro, you freaking me out with the mysterious talk. Are you remembering your pasts or not?"

"Pieces," Jason said. "Only pieces. None of it good. The Wolf House is on sacred ground. It's where London started his journey as a child—where he found out he was a demigod. That's why he returned there. He thought he could live there, claim that land, but it wasn't meant for him. The Wolf House was cursed. It burned in a fire a week before he and his wife were supposed to move in. A few years later, London died, and his ashes were buried on the site."

"So," Piper said, "How do you know all this?"

A shadow crossed his face. "I started our journey there too," Jason said. "It's a powerful place for demigods, a dangerous place. If Gaea can claim it, use its power to entomb Hera on the solstice and raise Porphyrion—that might be enough to awaken the earth goddess fully."

"There's one thing that we usually say in Camp Half-Blood when some old gods trying to wake up," I said. "Shit."

Leo kept his hand on the joystick, guiding the chopper at full speed—racing toward the north. There was a small dark spot where we were headed. I could only hope they could go around it. There were some sudden metal creaking sounds that did not sound good. Leo leveled out the chopper, and the creaking stopped.

"Thirty minutes out," Leo told us. "If you want to get some rest, now's a good time." Jason strapped himself into the helicopter and passed out almost immediately. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Leo said, "Your dad will be fine, Piper. Nobody's gonna mess with him with that crazy goat around."

Piper glanced at him. "My dad," she said thoughtfully. "Yeah, I know. I was thinking about Jason. I'm worried about him." Leo nodded. The closer we got to that bank of dark clouds, the more I worried.

"He's starting to remember." I said, quitely. "That's got to make him a little edgy."

"But what if... what if he's different person?"

"Nah," Leo decided. "After all we've been through? I can't see it. We're a team. Jason can handle it."

Piper smoothed her blue dress, which was tattered and burned from our fight on Mount Diablo. "I hope you're right. I need him..." she cleared her throat. "I mean I need to trust him..." 

"And you obviously like him." I smirked.

"Alex!" Piper blushed.

"What?!" I shrugged. "I'm trying not to die from fear, let me do something I'm good at!"

"Tease?" She looked at me, reproachfully.

"Well, that's the only thing I can do while holding Leo's shirt."

"Why-...?" 

"Don't ask."

"Hey, Sun', relax, we're not going to fall again." Leo tried to reassure me. "And Piper, you're the strongest, most powerful beauty queen I've ever met. You or Alex, I still didn't decided." I tried to elbow him, but he moved, chuckling. "Anyway, I know that you can trust yourself. For what it's worth, you can trust us too." The helicopter dipped in wind shear, and Piper almost jumped out of her skin. Leo cursed and righted the chopper. 

"Not gonna fall, huh?!" I laughed nervously, thightling the grip Leo's shirt.

"Shut up." Leo said, but he sounded like he was apologizing.  


And then we entered a thunderstorm front. At first, I thought that a rockfall had fallen on the windshield of the cabin. But then he realized that it was a hail. A frosty edge began to form along the edge of the glass, porridge of ice and water reduced visibility to zero.

"Thunderstorm with hail?" I shouted, blocking the wind and engine roar with my voice. 

“Is there such a cold in Sonoma?” Piper asked. I did not know, but something in this thunderstorm seemed conscious, purposeful, as if deliberately fell upon us. Jason immediately woke up. He made his way forward and, in order not to fall, grabbed the backs of our chairs.

"We've got to be getting close." 

"Where are we?" I asked. Leo was too busy wrestling with the stick to reply. Suddenly it didn't look so easy to drive the chopper. Its movements turned sluggish and jerky. The whole machine shuddered in the icy wind. The helicopter probably hadn't been prepped for cold-weather flying. There was a sudden beeping noise, and we started to lose altitude. Below us, the ground was a dark quilt of trees and fog. The ridge of a hill loomed in front of us and Leo yanked the stick, just clearing the treetops. 

"There!" Jason shouted. 

A small valley opened up before us, with the murky shape of a building in the middle. Leo aimed the helicopter straight for it, and I closed my eyes. I heard the trees cracking and exploding at the edges of the clearing. Combat heard to be everywhere. Leo set down the helicopter in an icy field about fifty yards from the house and killed the engine. 

We were about to relax when I heard a whistling sound. "Out!" I shouted. We leaped from the helicopter and barely cleared the rotors before a massive BOOM shook the ground, knocking me off my feet and splattering ice all over us. Leo gave me a hand and I stood up on my feet, shakingly. I saw that the world's largest snowball—a chunk of snow, ice, and dirt the size of a garage—had completely flattened the Bell 412. 

"You all right?" Jason ran up to us, Piper at his side. They both looked fine except for being speckled with snow and mud. 

"Yeah." Leo shivered. "Guess we owe that ranger lady a new helicopter." 

Piper pointed south. "Fighting's over there."

"No..." I said, looking around. "It's all around us." The sounds of combat rang across the valley. The snow and mist made it hard to tell for sure, but there seemed to be a circle of fighting all around the Wolf House. 

Behind us loomed Jack London's dream home—a massive ruin of red and gray stones and rough-hewn timber beams. I could imagine how it had looked before it burned down—a combination log cabin and castle, like a billionaire lumberjack, might build. But in the mist and sleet, the place had a lonely, haunted feel. I could totally believe the ruins were cursed. 

"Jason!" a girl's voice called. "Ria!" Thalia appeared from the fog, her parka caked with snow. Her bow was in her hand, and her quiver was almost empty. She ran toward us, but made it only a few steps before a six-armed ogre—one of the Earthborn—burst out of the storm behind her, a raised club in each hand. 

"Look out!" Leo yelled. We rushed to help, but Thalia had it under control. She launched herself into a flip, notching an arrow as she pivoted like a gymnast and landed in a kneeling position. The ogre got a silver arrow right between the eyes and melted into a pile of clay. Thalia stood and retrieved her arrow, but the point had snapped off. "That was my last one." She kicked the pile of clay resentfully. "Stupid ogre." 

"Nice shot, though," I said as she hugged me and Jason, and nodded to Leo and Piper.

"You arrived just in time. My Hunters are holding a perimeter around the mansion, but we'll be overrun any minute." 

"Here," I handed Thalia some of my arrows. "My returns back after couple of hours as a hair clip. Thanks to my father." 

"Thank you, Ria." she winked at me and whispered. "But I still think he's hot."

"He's your uncle, Thalia Grace...!" I said it loudly, but with a smile on my face.

"Earthborns...?" Jason asked, looking at the battlefield.

"And wolves—Lycaon's minions." Thalia blew a fleck of ice off her nose. "Also storm spirits—" 

"But we gave them to Aeolus!" Piper protested. 

"He tried to kill us at the end," J shrugged. "Maybe he's helping Gaea again..."

"I don't know," Thalia said. "But the monsters keep re-forming almost as fast as we can kill them. We took the Wolf House with no problem: surprised the guards and sent them straight to Tartarus. But then this freak snowstorm blew in. Wave after wave of monsters started attacking. Now we're surrounded. I don't know who or what is leading the assault, but I think they planned this. It was a trap to kill anyone who tried to rescue Hera." 

"Gaea knows we're here," I said. "We're on the ground and everything."

"Where's Hera?" Jason asked. 

"Inside," Thalia said. "We tried to free her, but we can't figure out how to break the cage. It's only a few minutes until the sun goes down. Hera thinks that's the moment when Porphyrion will be reborn. Plus, most monsters are stronger at night. If we don't free Hera soon—" She didn't need to finish the thought. All of us followed her into the ruined mansion. Jason stepped over the threshold and immediately collapsed. 

"Hey!" Leo caught him. "None of that, bro. What's wrong?" 

"This place..." Jason shook his head. "Sorry... It came rushing back to me."

I rushed to one of the walls at the right side of the building. "Where's it... Where... I think it was-... Yeah! Here!" I looked at the letters that was carved in a thin and sloppy handwriting. 'A.L' - my initials... 

I remember that when me and my mom went here, I ran out of the car right here. I remember myself feelling that I knew this place before. I was waiting for my mom here, carving these latters with a stone. I heard something that reminded me of wolves. I looked around and saw a pair of eyes, but after a moment they disappeared. Then I heard someone coming. It was my mom. She was crying, and when she saw me she collapsed next to me hugged me, mumbling; 'I thought you disappeared like Jason'. Then I saw a man; he was up to thirty, about the same age as my mom. I remember thinking that he was very familiar... He was dressed in the clothes of a park ranger and while my mother hugged me, burying her face in my hair, I smiled at him. Then a wolf came up to him and roared at him - but the man wasn't afraid, he simply waved it off, looked at me, and smiled. Then I tried to show the wolf to my mother, but it and the man - both disappeared as soon as I looked away. "I-... I've been here before."

"We both have," Thalia said. Her expression was grim like she was reliving someone's death. "This is where my mom took me and Jason. She left him here, told me he was dead. He just disappeared."

"She gave me to the wolves," Jason murmured. "At Hera's insistence. She gave me to Lupa." 

"That part I didn't know." Thalia frowned. "Who is Lupa?" An explosion shook the building. Just outside, a blue mushroom cloud billowed up, raining snowflakes and ice like a nuclear blast made of cold instead of heat. 

"Maybe this isn't the time for questions," Leo suggested. "Show us the goddess." 

Once inside, Jason and seemed to get our bearings. The house was built in a giant U, and Jason led us between the two wings to an outside courtyard with an empty reflecting pool. At the bottom of the pool, just as Jason had described from his dream, two spires of rock and root tendrils had cracked through the foundation. One of the spires was much bigger—a solid dark mass about twenty feet high, and to Leo, it looked like a stone body bag. Underneath the mass of fused tendrils he could make out the shape of a head, wide shoulders, a massive chest and arms, like the creature, was stuck waist-deep in the earth. No, not stuck—rising. On the opposite end of the pool, the other spire was smaller and more loosely woven. Each tendril was as thick as a telephone pole, with so little space between them that I doubted I could've gotten his arm through. Still, they could see inside. And in the center of the cage stood Hera. But she didn't look like Hera that I remembered. There was a grey light off her, and she was weak. The cage was slowly deflating her powers. 

Leo dropped into the pool and approached the cage. "Hola, Tía. A little bit of trouble?" Uh, so this was Tía Callida. Leo's psychotic babysitter. 

Hera crossed her arms and sighed in exasperation. "Don't inspect me like I'm one of your machines, Leo Valdez. Get me out of here!" 

Thalia stepped next to him and looked at the cage with distaste—or maybe she was looking at the goddess. "We tried everything we could think of, Leo, but maybe my heart wasn't in it. If it was up to me, I'd just leave her in there." 

"Oh, Thalia Grace," the goddess said. "When I get out of here, you'll be sorry you were ever born." 

"Hey, both of you, stop!" I said, loudly.

"Oh, right, all the family's here," Hera rolled her eyes. "I still have no idea what my husband and Apollo found in your mom's! And you, Alexandria, you should be dead! But I convinced Zeus not to-..."

"Oh, save it! You've been nothing but a curse to every child of Zeus for ages!" Thalia snapped. "You sent a bunch of intestinally challenged cows after my friend Annabeth—" 

"She was disrespectful!" 

"You dropped a statue on my legs." 

"It was an accident!" 

"And you took my brother!" Thalia's voice cracked with emotion. "Here—on this spot. You ruined our lives. We should leave you to Gaea!" 

"Hey," Jason intervened. "Thalia—Sis—I know. But this isn't the time. You should help your Hunters." 

Thalia clenched her jaw. "Fine. For you, Jason. But if you ask me, she isn't worth it." Thalia turned, leaped out of the pool, and stormed from the building. 

Leo turned to Hera with grudging respect. "Intestinally challenged cows?" 

"Focus on the cage, Leo," she grumbled. "And Jason—you are wiser than your sister. I chose my champions well." 

"We're not your champion, lady," Jason said. "We're only helping you because you stole my memories and you're better than the alternative."

"Speaking of the alternative, what's that?" I nodded to the other spire that looked like the king-size granite body bag.

"That, Alexandria," Hera said, "Is the king of the giants being reborn." 

"Porphyrion?"

"Indeed," Hera said. "The strongest of his kind. Gaea needed a great deal of power to raise him again —my power. For weeks I've grown weaker as my essence was used to grow him a new form." 

"So you're like a heat lamp," Leo guessed. "Or fertilizer." The goddess glared at him, but Leo didn't look like he cared. 

"Joke all you wish," Hera said in a clipped tone. "But at sundown, it will be too late. The giant will awake. He will offer me a choice: marry him, or be consumed by the earth. And I cannot marry him. We will all be destroyed. And as we die, Gaea will awaken." 

"Can't we blow it up or something?" Leo asked.

"Without me, you do not have the power," Hera said. "You might as well try to destroy a mountain." 

"Uh-huh..." I looked at the guys, remembering our little adventure back at Mountain Diablo.

"Just hurry up and let me out!" Hera demanded. 

Jason scratched his head. "Leo, can you do it?" 

"I don't know." Leo tried not to panic. "Besides, if she's a goddess, why hasn't she busted herself out?" 

Hera paced furiously around her cage, cursing in Ancient Greek. "Use your brain, Leo Valdez. I picked you because you're intelligent. Once trapped, a god's power is useless. Your own father trapped me once in a golden chair. It was humiliating! I had to beg—beg him for my freedom and apologize for throwing him off Olympus." 

"Sounds fair," Leo said. 

Hera gave him the godly stink-eye. "I've watched you since you were a child, son of Hephaestus because I knew you could aid me at this moment. If anyone can find a way to destroy this abomination, it is you." 

"But it's not a machine. It's like Gaea thrust her hand out of the ground and..." Leo looked dizzy. The line of the prophecy - The light forge and dove shall break the cage. "Hold on. I do have an idea. Piper, I need your help. And we're going to need time." 

The air turned brittle with cold. The temperature dropped so fast, my breath changed to mist. Frost coated the walls of the Wolf House. Venti rushed in —but instead of winged men, these were shaped like horses, with dark storm-cloud bodies and manes that crackled with lightning. Some had silver arrows sticking out of their flanks. Behind them came red-eyed wolves and the six-armed Earthborn. Piper drew her dagger. Jason grabbed an ice-covered plank off the pool floor. Leo reached into his tool belt, but all he produced was a tin of breath mints. He shoved them back in and drew a hammer instead. I raised my bow and aimed one of the silver arrows towards the wolves. Why do I have only two of them?!

One of the wolves padded forward. It was dragging a human-size statue by the leg. At the edge of the pool, the wolf opened its maw and dropped the statue for us to see—an ice sculpture of a girl, an archer with short spiky hair and a surprised look on her face. 

"Thalia!" Jason and I rushed forward, but Piper pulled us back, grabbing him by his arm and me by the back of my shirt. I exhaled, sharply. The ground around Thalia's statue was already webbed with ice. Maybe Piper was scared that if we touched her, we might freeze too. 

I looked at the wolf that dragged Thalia's statue here; "I may not speak Latin, but I swear that I kill you, if you won't show me-..."

"Who did this?" Jason yelled. His body crackled with electricity. "I'll kill you myself!"

From somewhere behind the monsters, they heard a girl's laughter, clear and cold. I bared my teeth as Khione stepped out of the mist in her snowy white dress, a silver crown atop her long black hair. 

"You-....!" I began.

"Bon Soir, mes amis," said Khione, the goddess of snow. She gave Leo a frosty smile, which made me hate her even more. "Alas, son of Hephaestus, you say you need time? I'm afraid time is one tool you do not have."

"What've you done?" Jason demanded. 

"Oh, so many things," the snow goddess purred. "Your sister's not dead if that's what you mean. She and her Hunters will make fine toys for our wolves. I thought we'd defrost them one at a time and hunt them down for amusement. Let them be prey for once." 

I frowned, turning nasty; "You know what will happen if you touch me," I said, stepping forward. "And you already hurt my cousin, so for your own good-..." The wolves snarled at me, as I did another step forward.

"Yes, my dears." Khione looked at me. "She almost killed their king, you know. Lycaon's off in a cave somewhere, no doubt licking his wounds, but his minions have joined us to take revenge for their master. And soon Porphyrion will arise, and we shall rule the world."

"Traitor!" Hera shouted. "You meddlesome, D-list goddess! You aren't worthy to pour my wine, much less rule the world." 

Khione sighed. "Tiresome as ever, Queen Hera. I've been wanting to shut you up for millennia." Khione waved her hand, and ice encased the prison, sealing in the spaces between the earthen tendrils. 

"That's better," the snow goddess said. "Now, demigods, about your death—" 

"You're the one who tricked Hera into coming here," Jason said. "You gave Zeus the idea of closing Olympus." 

The wolves snarled, and the storm spirits whinnied, ready to attack, but Khione held up her hand. "Patience, my loves. If he wants to talk, what matters? The sun is setting, and time is on our side. Of course, Jason Grace. Like snow, my voice is quiet and gentle, and very cold. It's easy for me to whisper to the other gods, especially when I am only confirming their own deepest fears. I also whispered in Aeolus's ear that he should issue an order to kill demigods. It is a small service for Gaea, but I'm sure I will be well rewarded when her sons the giants come to power." 

"You could've killed us in Quebec," Jason said. "Why let us live?" 

Khione wrinkled her nose. "Messy business, killing you in my father's house, especially with this annoying child of Apollo. But I did try, you remember. It would've been lovely if my father's agreed to turn you to ice. But once he'd given you a guarantee of safe passage, I couldn't openly disobey him. My father is an old fool. He lives in fear of Zeus and Apollo, but he's still powerful. Soon enough, when my new masters have awakened, I will depose Boreas and take the throne of the North Wind, but not just yet. Besides, my father did have a point. Your quest was suicidal. I fully expected you to fail." 

"And to help us with that," Leo said, "You knocked our dragon out of the sky over Detroit. Those frozen wires in his head—that was your fault. You're gonna pay for that." 

"You're also the one who kept Enceladus informed about us," Piper added. "We've been plagued by snowstorms the whole trip." 

"And you are my only family member that hate." I mumbled.

"Yes, I feel so close to all of you now!" Khione said. "Once you made it past Omaha, I decided to ask Lycaon to track you down so Jason could die here, at the Wolf House." Khione smiled at him. "You see, Jason, your blood spilled on this sacred ground will taint it for generations. Your demigod brethren will be outraged, especially when they find the bodies of these three from Camp Half-Blood. They'll believe the Greeks have conspired with giants. It will be... delicious."

We seem to understand what she was saying. But Jason seemed like he knew. "You'll set demigods against demigods," he said. 

"It's so easy!" said Khione. "As I told you, I only encourage what you would do anyway." 

"But why?" I reached the hand with a bow to Hera's direction. "Khione, you'll tear the world apart. The giants will destroy everything!"

"You don't want that." said Piper. "Call off your monsters." 

Khione laughed. "Your persuasive powers are improving, girl. But I am a goddess. You can't charm-speak me. We wind gods are creatures of chaos! I'll overthrow Aeolus and let the storms run free. If we destroy the mortal world, all the better! They never honored me, even in Greek times. Humans and their talk of global warming. Pah! I'll cool them down quickly enough. When we retake the ancient places, I will cover the Acropolis in snow." 

"The ancient places?" My eyes widened, I glanced at Hera's cage. "That's what Enceladus meant about destroy the roots of the gods... He meant..."

"Greece." Leo finished.

"You could join me, son of Hephaestus," Khione said. "I know you find me beautiful. It would be enough for my plan if these other three were to die. Reject that ridiculous destiny the Fates have given you. Live and be my champion, instead. Your skills would be quite useful." 

Leo looked at her with a dazed look. He looked around as if Khion was speaking to someone else. For a second, my heart was seized with fear as thought that not every day beautiful a goddesses made Leo suggestions like this. But then he laughed so hard, he doubled over. "Yeah, join you. Right. Lady, nobody messes with my dragon and gets away with it. You may be hot, but not as much as my little Sunshine." Leo winked at me, but before I could say anything about it, Khione's face turned red. Mine too - but I only blushed. 

"Hot? You dare insult me? I am cold, Leo Valdez. Very, very cold." She shot a blast of wintry sleet at the us, but Leo held up his hand. A wall of fire roared to life in front of us, and the snow dissolved in a steamy cloud. 

Leo grinned. "See, lady, that's what happens to snow in Texas. It—freaking—melts." 

Khione hissed. "Enough of this. Hera is failing. Porphyrion is rising. Kill the demigods. Let them be our king's first meal!"


	11. Chapter 11

I felt like the fight was all around, at every direction I turned, another monster was charging at me. It was completely terrifying. And I had to deal with it. I shoot my arrow's one after one, but soon they should have ended. Sweat glistened on my forehead and hand's. I had to wipe my hands after each arrow - otherwise it would slip out of my hand. Leo had taken on Khione herself. While fighting a goddess should've been suicide, Leo was the right man for the job. She kept summoning ice daggers to throw at him, blasts of winter air, tornadoes of snow. Leo burned through all of it. His whole body flickered with red tongues of flame-like he'd been doused with gasoline. He advanced on the goddess, using two silver-tipped ball-pen hammers to smash any monsters that got in his way. Finally, I another earthborn and had a little break. I looked around and saw Jason, riding a storm spirit.

"What-... Yay-son, for dad's sake, really?!" I yelled, laughing. It sounded more hysterical than I hoped.

"I won't give you a ride if you'll call me 'Yay-son' once again." He said when I eventually got to him.

"Oh, what a dull beggar!" I laughed again.

"Family teasing, as you said!" Jason responded with a grin.

We watched as Leo was bearing down on the goddess of snow. "You're too late," Khione snarled. "He's awake! And don't think you've won anything here, demigods. Hera's plan will never work. You'll be at each other's throats before you can ever stop us." Leo set his hammers ablaze and threw them at the goddess, but she turned into snow—a white powdery image of herself. Leo's hammers slammed into the snow woman, breaking it into a steaming mound of mush. 

Piper was breathing hard, but she smiled up at Jason and me. "Nice horse." 

Tempest reared on his hind legs, arcing electricity across his hooves. A complete show-off. I laughed again, intercepting your bow more comfortably. 

Then I heard a cracking sound behind me. The melting ice on Hera's cage sloughed off in a curtain of slush, and the goddess called, "Oh, don't mind me! Just the queen of the heavens, dying over here!" 

The four of us jumped into the pool and ran to the spire. 

Leo frowned. "Uh, Tía Callida, are you getting shorter?" 

"No, you dolt! The earth is claiming me. Hurry!" 

What I saw inside the cage alarmed me. Not only was Hera sinking, but the ground was also rising around her like water in a tank. Liquid rock had already covered her shins. "The giant wakes!" Hera warned. "You only have seconds!" 

"On it," Leo said. "Piper, I need your help. Talk to the cage." 

"What?" she said. 

"Talk to it. Use everything you've got. Convince Gaea to sleep. Lull her into a daze. Just slow her down, try to get the tendrils to loosen while I—" 

"Right!" Piper nodded, and turned to me. "Sing a lullaby."

"Huh?!" I fixed my eye's on her face with shock.

"Remember at Medea's store, when you convinced Leo and Jason to stop?" I nod. "You we're singing! So maybe if you try-"

"You're a daughter of Apollo, after all!" Hera rolled her eyes. "I choose you because I thought your powers were impressive, especially after your death."

"Oh. Thanks." I landed on the floor of the pool after I transformed my bow into the hair clip again, and tried to remember some lullaby's while Piper cleared her throat. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star..." I started to sing the first thing that came in my mind.

"Hey, Gaea." Piper said. The charm speak was radiating from her voice. "Nice night, huh? Boy, I'm tired. How about you? Ready for some sleep?" The more she talked, the more confident she sounded. Our voices seemed to have some effect on the cage. The mud was rising more slowly. The tendrils seemed to soften just a little—becoming more like tree root than rock. Leo pulled a circular saw out of his tool belt. How it fits in there, I had no idea, but I didn't had time to think; I tried to to focus on the singing part. 

Leo looked at the cord and grunted in frustration. "I don't have anywhere to plug it in!" The spirit horse Tempest jumped into the pit and whinnied. 

"Really?" Jason asked. Tempest dipped his head and trotted over to Leo. Leo looked dubious, but he held up the plug, and a breeze whisked it into the horse's flank. Lighting sparked, connecting with the prongs of the plug, and the circular saw whirred to life. 

"Sweet!" Leo grinned. "Your horse comes with AC outlets!" 

Our good mood didn't last long. On the other side of the pool, the giant's spire crumbled with a sound like a tree snapping in half. Its outer sheath of tendrils exploded from the top-down, raining stone and wood shards as the giant shook himself free and climbed out of the earth. There was something more terrible about him—a kind of strength, even magnetism as if the giant were so huge and dense he had his own gravitational field. Like Enceladus, the giant king was humanoid from the waist up, clad in bronze armor, and from the waist down he had scaly dragon's legs, but his skin was the color of lima beans. His hair was green as summer leaves, braided in long locks and decorated with weapons—daggers, axes, and full-size swords, some of them bent and bloody—maybe trophies taken from demigods eons before. When the giant opened his eyes, they were blank white, like polished marble. He took a deep breath. 

"Alive!" he bellowed. "Praise to Gaea!" 

"Leo," Jason said. 

"Huh?" Leo's mouth was wide open. Even Piper seemed dazed. 

"You guys keep working," Jason said. "Get Hera free!" 

"What are you going to do?" Piper asked. "You can't seriously—" 

"Entertain a giant? I've got no choice." He said, before marching in front of the giant. "Hey, ugly!" 

"Just be careful, cousin, please!" I sang with a 'Twinkle twinkle little star' melody.

"Excellent!" the giant roared as Jason approached. "An appetizer! Who are you—Hermes? Ares?" 

"I'm Jason Grace," he said, sounding very confident. "Son of Jupiter." 

Porphyrion threw back his head and laughed. "Outstanding!" He looked up at the cloudy night sky. "So, Zeus, you sacrifice your child to me? The gesture is appreciated, but it will not save you." 

"If you knew who I am," Jason yelled up at the giant, "You'd be worried about me, not my father!"

The giant's eyes narrowed. He planted one foot outside the pool and crouched to get a better look at his opponent. "So... we'll start by boasting, will we? Just like old times! Very well, demigods. I am Porphryion, king of the giants, son of Gaea. In olden times, I rose from Tartarus, the abyss of my father, to challenge the gods. To start the war, I stole Zeus's queen." He grinned at the goddess's cage. "Hello, Hera." 

"My husband destroyed you once, monster!" Hera said. "He'll do it again!" 

"But he didn't, my dear! Zeus wasn't powerful enough to kill me. He had to rely on a puny demigod to help, and even then, we almost won. This time, we will complete what we started. Gaea is waking. She has provisioned us with many fine servants. Our armies will shake the earth—and we will destroy you at the roots." 

"You wouldn't dare," Hera said, but she was weakening. I could hear it in her voice. Piper kept whispering to the cage, I sang the most random songs' I could remember - from Pink Floid to the Big Bang theory song theme - and Leo kept sawing, but the earth was still rising inside Hera's prison, covering her up to her waist. 

"Oh, yes," the giant said. "The Titans sought to attack your new home in New York. Bold, but ineffective. Gaea is wiser and more patient. And we, her greatest children, are much, much stronger than Kronos. We know how to kill you Olympians once and for all. You must be dug up completely like rotten trees—your eldest roots torn out and burned." 

"You said a demigod killed you," Jason shouted. "How, if we're so puny?" 

"Ha! You think I would explain it to you? I was created to be Zeus's replacement, born to destroy the lord of the sky. I shall take his throne. I shall take his wife—or, if she will not have me, I will let the earth consume her life force. What you see before you, child, is only my weakened form. I will grow stronger by the hour, until I am invincible. But I am already quite capable of smashing you to a grease spot!" He rose to his full height and held out his hand. A twenty-foot spear shot from the earth. He grasped it, then stomped the ground with his dragon's feet. The ruins shook. All around the courtyard, monsters started to regather—storm spirits, wolves, and Earthborn, all answering the giant king's call. 

"Hurry," Hera said. 

"I know!" Leo snapped. 

"Shut it, Hera~, Please wi~ill ya?" I sang it quietly, with a 'Mr.Blue Sky' melody. Gladly, the goddess was busy mumbling something to herself, so she did not heard me.

"Go to sleep, cage," Piper said. "Nice, sleepy cage. Yes, I'm talking to a bunch of earthen tendrils. This isn't weird at all." 

I glanced at Leo, still singing some lyrics. His face was dirty, his hair was a total mess, his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration and you could tell he was really working hard, like at the bus three days ago, when he didn't had a clue who he - and I - really was. 

"Wow, dude," Leo muttered. "You been eating red meat?" I chuckled, and suddenly a song came to my mind. I had no idea when I heard it, but I thought that I remembered all the lyrics - not like the last three songs, when I had to stop at the middle because I forgot the rest of the text - and it was completely strange, because the song was in Spanish. And I didn't knew Spanish, like, at all.

"He sonado tantas veces como seria mi vida contigo  
y es que yo me siento como iluminado, enamorado  
tu me quieres, yo te quiero  
entonces por que no estar juntos  
caminemos de la mano, conquistaremos el mundo  
tu y yo, el mundo, el mundo, para los dos  
dime como te sientes." I didn't ment to do it, but I kept looking at Leo, smiling to myself. I noticed that Hera rolled her eyes, looking at me again. "He bailado bajo la lluvia  
he sentido la luz del sol  
he tenido la sensacion de que me quieres  
si inverti eso me ha hecho grande  
si donde ahora se quien soy  
yo le entrego mi corazon  
si aun lo quiere." I saw that Porphyrion almost fell. The circle of monsters let out a collective growl and moved forward—wolves and ogres fixing their eyes on Jason and us.

"No!" Porphyrion yelled. He regained his balance and glared at us. "I will kill them myself." The giant raised his spear and it began to glow. "You want to play with lightning, boy? You forget. I am the bane of Zeus. I was created to destroy your father, which means I know exactly what will kill you." 

This was the end. It was supposed to be there end. Until Leo yelled, "Got it!"

"Sleep!" Piper said.

"Te voy a esperar." I finished. My voice was already hoarse. The stone and wood cage crumbled. Leo had sawed through the base of the thickest tendril and apparently cut off the cage's connection to Gaea. The tendrils turned to dust. The mud around Hera disintegrated. The goddess grew in size, glowing with power. 

"Yes!" the goddess said. She threw off her black robes to reveal a white gown, her arms bedecked with golden jewelry. Her face was both terrible and beautiful, and a golden crown glowed in her long black hair. "Now I shall have my revenge!" The giant Porphyrion backed away. He said nothing, but he gave Jason one last look of hatred. His message was clear: Another time. Then he slammed his spear against the earth, and the giant disappeared into the ground like he'd dropped down a chute. 

Hera glowed brighter. She shouted, "Cover your eyes, my heroes!" and I did that immediately. I burned out once. Thanks, I'm not interested in this again.

I opened my eyes less than two minutes later. Then I saw Piper. She held Jason. His body was steaming, his eyes rolled back in his head. "No, no, no..." I ran to them, and collapsed at the floor less than a meet away from Jason. "Hey, budd." I shook him arm. "Jay, hey, Yay-son!" I called for him. I needed him to open his eyes and tell me he hates this nick name. He must...! 

"Jason!" Piper called.

"It's no use, children," Hera said as she stood over us in her simple black robes and shawl. I didn't payed attention to the fact that the battle stopped, the monsters disappeared, and silence was surrounding us. Even when the Hunters had been revived, I didn't realized anything until Thalia knelt by my side, her hand on Jason's forehead. 

Thalia glared up at the goddess. "This is your fault. Do something!" 

"Do not address me that way, girl. I am the queen—" 

"Fix him!" Fix him... I looked at the sky. It was already dark, but I could tell that the sun got down not so long ago.

Hera's eyes flickered with power. "I did warn him. I would never intentionally hurt the boy. He was to be my champion. I told them to close their eyes before I revealed my true form." 

"Um..." Leo frowned. "True form is bad, right? So why did you do it?" 

"I unleashed my power to help you, fool!" Hera cried. "I became pure energy so I could disintegrate the monsters, restore this place, and even save these miserable Hunters from the ice." 

"But mortals can't look upon you in that form!" Thalia shouted. "You've killed him!" 

Leo shook his head in dismay. "That's what our prophecy meant. Death unleashes, through Hera's rage. Come on, lady. You're a goddess. Do some voodoo magic on him! Bring him back." 

I didn't listened to them. I needed a moment to remember what Will teached me about First aid. Check the pulse and breathing. I took Jason's wrist. 

Bum-bum. Bum-bum.

"Hey, hey-hey-hey, Pipes!" I called her. My voice was so quiet like I screamed all the day without a break. Well, the magic singing took it's prise. "Take his hand," i said. "Check his pulse. I may be crazy or something but I hear it."

"Impossible," Hera said. "I wish it were true, child, but no mortal has ever—"

"Hi, my name's Alex." I scoffed.

"Jason," Piper called, putting every bit of her willpower into his name, holding his hand. She didn't even checked. She believed my words. "Listen to me. You can do this. Come back. You're going to be fine." Nothing happened.

"Healing is not a power of Aphrodite," Hera said regretfully. "And even you, Alexandria, cannot fix this. Your healing skills isn't as good as your father's. Jason's mortal spirit—" 

"Jason, for Apollo's sake, we agreed on not loosing cousins again!" I cried, and slapped him arm. A bright, gold light got from my hand. It wrapped around me, and then around Jason. I felt warmth. Jason's skin began to warm up too. "Piper-..."

She understood, and called again; "Jason, wake up!"

He gasped, and his eyes flew open. For a moment they were full of light—glowing pure gold. Then the light faded and his eyes were normal again. "What—what happened?" 

"Impossible!" Hera said. 

Piper wrapped him in a hug until he groaned, "Crushing me." 

"Sorry," she said, so relieved, she laughed while wiping a tear from her eye, and it was my turn to hug him;

"I don't mind crushing you," I said, pulling away after a moment.

Thalia gripped her brother's hand. "How do you feel?" 

"Hot," he muttered. "Mouth is dry. And I saw something... really terrible." 

"That was Hera," Thalia grumbled. "Her Majesty, the Loose Cannon." 

"That's it, Thalia Grace," said the goddess. "I will turn you into an aardvark, so help me—" 

"Stop it, grandma." I said it, surprising everyone, causing both Thalia and Hera to shut up.

Piper helped Jason to his feet and I gave him the last nectar from my supplies, but Jason shook his head. "Now..." Piper faced Thalia and Hera. "Hera—Your Majesty—we couldn't have rescued you without the Hunters. And Thalia, you and Al never would've seen Jason again—I wouldn't have met him—if it weren't for Hera. You two make nice because we've got bigger problems." They both glared at her.  
  
Finally, Thalia grunted. "You've got spirit, Piper." She pulled a silver card from her parka and tucked it into the pocket of Piper's snowboarding jacket. "You ever want to be a Hunter, call me. We could use you." She looked over at me; "And I will forcibly make a hunter out of you if you'll get yourself some shitty guy. Or if your choice will be not to my liking"

"Don't scare away her potential boyfriend," Piper looked at Leo, while he greeted Jason for waking up and being alive.

"Piper-" I began, but Hera, with her crossed arms, cutted me;

"Fortunately for this Hunter, you have a point, daughter of Aphrodite." She assessed Piper as if seeing her clearly for the time. "You wondered, Piper, why I chose you for this quest, why I didn't reveal your secret in the beginning, even when I knew Enceladus was using you. I must admit, until this moment I was not sure. Something told me you would be vital to the quest. Now I see I was right. You're even stronger than I realized. And you are correct about the dangers to come. We must work together." 

Piper's face looked warm. She wasn't sure how to respond to Hera's giving a daughter of Aphrodite a compliment, but luckily Leo stepped in; "Yeah," he said, "I don't suppose that Porphyrion guy just melted and died, huh?" 

"No," Hera agreed. "By saving me, and saving this place, you prevented Gaea from waking. You have bought us some time. But Porphyrion has risen. He simply knew better than to stay here, especially since he has not yet regained his full power. Giants can only be killed by a combination of god and demigod, working together. Once you freed me—" 

"He ran away," Jason said. "But to where?" Hera didn't answer, but a sense of dread washed over me.

"I need to find Annabeth," Thalia said. " She has to know what's happened here." 

"Thalia..." Jason gripped her hand. "We never got to talk about this place, or—" 

"I know." Her expression softened. "I lost you here once. I don't want to leave you again. But we'll meet soon. I'll rendezvous with you back at Camp Half-Blood." She squeezed Jason's hand, messed my hair and glanced at Hera. "You'll see them there safely? It's the least you can do." 

"It's not your place to tell me—" 

"Queen Hera," Piper interceded. 

The goddess sighed. "Fine. Yes. Just off with you, Hunter!" 

Thalia gave me and Jason a hug and said her good-byes. When the Hunters were gone, the courtyard seemed strangely quiet. The dry reflecting pool showed no sign of the earthen tendrils that had brought back the giant king or imprisoned Hera. The night sky was clear and starry. The wind rustled in the redwoods.

"Jason, what happened to you here?" Piper asked. "I mean—I know your mom abandoned you here. But you said it was sacred ground for demigods. Why? What happened after he was on his own?" 

Jason shook his head uneasily. "It's still murky. The wolves..." 

"You were given a destiny," Hera said. "You were given into my service." 

Jason scowled. "Because you forced my mom to do that. You couldn't stand knowing Zeus had two children with my mom. Maybe even because you knew that Apollo fell for her sister. I was the price you demanded for leaving the rest of my family alone. " 

"It was the right choice for you as well, Jason," Hera insisted. "The second time your mother managed to snare Zeus's affections, it was because she imagined him in a different aspect—the aspect of Jupiter. Never before had this happened—two children, Greek and Roman, born into the same family. And the demigods of your kind start their journey here." 

"Of he's kind?" Piper asked. 

"She means Roman," Jason said. "Demigods are left here. We meet the she-wolf goddess, Lupa, the same immortal wolf that raised Romulus and Remus." 

Hera nodded. "And if you are strong enough, you live." 

"I saw her." I said, suddenly, causing my friends and the goddess to look at me surprised. "I mean... I told you, I was here already." Jason nodded. "So I... I saw her when I was sitting at the ruins. At first I saw my dad and thought it was just a guy, but now I remember him. He smiled at me and a wolf appeared next to him."

"So..." Leo looked mystified. "You got to camp couple of years later, but Jason didn't." 

"Not to Camp Half-Blood, no," Jason agreed. 

Piper felt as if the sky were spiraling above her, making her dizzy. "You went somewhere else. That's where you've been all these years. Somewhere else for demigods—but where?" 

Jason turned to the goddess. "The memories are coming back, but not the location. You're not going to tell us, are you?" 

"No," Hera said. "That is part of your destiny. You must find your own way back. But when you do... you will unite two great powers. You will give us hope against the giants, and more importantly—against Gaea herself." 

"You want us to help you," Jason said, "But you're holding back information." 

"Giving you answers would make those answers invalid," Hera said. "That is the way of the Fates. You must forge your own path for it to mean anything. Already, you four have surprised me. I would not have thought it possible..." The goddess shook her head. "Suffice to say, you have performed well, demigods. But this is only the beginning. Now you must return to Camp Half-Blood, where you will begin planning for the next phase." 

"Which you won't tell us about," Jason grumped. "And I suppose you destroyed my nice storm spirit horse, so we'll have to walk home?" 

Hera waved aside the question. "Storm spirits are creatures of chaos. I did not destroy that one, though I have no idea where he went, or whether you'll see him again. But there is an easier way home for you. As you have done me a great service, so I can help you—at least this once. Farewell, demigods, for now." 

The world turned upside down, and I almost blacked out. I think I hate teleportation more than heights.

When I could see straight again, I was back at camp half-blood, in the dining pavilion, in the middle of dinner. We were standing on the Aphrodite cabin's table, and Piper had one foot in Drew's pizza. Yay. Sixty campers rose at once, gawking at them in astonishment. Whatever Hera had done to shoot us across the country, it wasn't good for my stomach. I could barely control her nausea. Piper was looking green in the face, and Jason ready to pass out. Leo wasn't so lucky. He jumped off the table, ran to the nearest bronze brazier, and threw up in it—which was probably not a great burnt offering for the gods. 

"Jason? Alex?" Chiron trotted forward. "What—How—?" 

jumped off the table like Leo, but I didn't threw up; instead I 'offered' a plate from one of the Aphrodite's children, shutting my mouth with a cheesecake.

"Hi," Piper said, casually. "We're back."

I swallowed the cheesecake; "And where is our 'welcome back great heroes'?" I looked around at the stil shocked kid's. "Really, guys, I almost died. Couple of times. Per day."

"Why do you have a black scar on your cheek?" Asked someone from Hermes cabin.

"Really?" I turned to their direction with disappointment, and took an opened package of chips that was on the table. "I expected more than that."

I didn't remember much about the rest of the night. We told our story and answered a million questions from the other campers, but finally, Chiron saw how tired they were and ordered us to go to bed. Well, the bast thing about it was the bed. My cozy, beloved bed. I fell asleep as fast as my head touched the pillow.

I woke up before dawn. Any other day I would be disappointed, trying to sleep longer, but now I just got from my bed. When I was about to leave the cabin, my eyes fell on the mirror that stood by the door. I looked just like regular me... But something small, that no one would notice, changed. Even I didn't knew what it was. I walked out of my cabin, heading towards the lake. I got there when the sun started rising. I looked at it, and landed at the ground.

"Thanks, dad." I said. "Thank you for everything. You did so many things for me at this three day's, I-..." I chuckled. "I will never be able to repay you. And I'm afraid that because of this war I will ask you for more favours. We need to stop Gaea."

"I know." I jumped. A guy sat next to me. He was perfect, handsome and beautiful. And he was totally not my type, through being my dad.

"What-... Why are you-...?" I didn't finished the sentence, because Apollo began to talk

"You know, I love all my kid's." He said, looking at the lake. He's expression was sad. "I try to give you affection. Mostly in general, because I can't hang out with all my children. And I don't mind helping you, demigods. And of course I like when people trying repay me, but... I think I can handle one daughter without this ability." He smiled.

"Thank you, dad." I smiled at him, as he faded away. Then I looked at the sun. "And I... Love you?"

Leo's tacos were amazing, but this morning I was eating the third bowl of cereal, making my siblings laugh.

"Are you really this hungry?" Lance asked, smiling. I nodded, trying not to distract myself from the godly taste.

"Hey Leo!" Will called, smiling. The curly haired son of Hephaestus raised his head. "Did you fed her at this quest ot something? I feel like she's gonna eat you right after me!" The campers laughed.

I swallowed; "Bold of you to assume I won't eat both of you at once!" I said loud enough for Leo to hear. 

He laughed; "I don't mind being eaten by you, Sunshine!" The campers around us laughed again, mentioning the word 'flirt' and 'couple', causing me to blush. 

"Owwww," Kayla squeaked. "My ship is sailing..!"

"What?! No! There's no ship!"

"But there is!"

"She's right, Al, we all have the same OTP."

"Austin, on whose sid are you?!"

"The side of the shippers, of course."

"Guys..." I groaned. "I hate you..."

"We love you too," said half of my siblings. And the other campers looker at each other z trying to find out what ship did we mentioned.

Leo hadn't looked so jumpy since he'd offered tofu burgers to the werewolves. When he got to the limestone cliff in the forest, he turned to the group and smiled nervously. "Here we go." 

His hand caught fire, and he set it against the door. His cabin mates gasped. 

"Leo!" Nyssa cried. "You're a fire user!" 

"Yeah, thanks," he said. "I know." 

Jake Mason, who was out of his body cast but still on crutches, said, "Holy Hephaestus. That means—it's so rare that—" The massive stone door swung open, and everyone's mouth dropped. Leo's flaming hand seemed insignificant now. I sure that I looked surprised as hell. And I saw the underworld, guys. Only Chiron didn't look surprised. The centaur knit his bushy eyebrows and stroked his beard as if the group was about to walk through a minefield.

"Welcome to Bunker Nine," Leo said, as confidently as he could. "C'mon in." The group was silent as we toured the facility. Giant machines, worktables, old maps, and schematics. Festus's head was sitting on the central table, battered and scorched from his final crash in Omaha. The others went over to it, while I stayed a step backwards, and stroked the dragon's forehead. "Hey buddy..." I mumbled. "You're the only dragon that I can trust to with my fear of heights."

Jason put a hand on Leo's shoulder next to me. "Hephaestus brought it here for you?" 

Leo nodded. 

"But you can't repair him," Jason guessed. 

"No way," Leo said. "But the head is going to be reused. Festus will be going with us." 

"Going with us...?" I raised my eyebrows.

Piper frowned. "What do you mean?" 

Before Leo could answer, Nyssa cried out, "Guys, look at this!" She was standing at one of the worktables, flipping through a sketchbook—diagrams for hundreds of different machines and weapons. "I've never seen anything like these," Nyssa said. "There are more amazing ideas here than in Daedalus's workshop. It would take a century just to prototype them all." 

"Who built this place?" Jake Mason said. "And why?" 

Chiron stayed silent, but I focused on the wall map - it showed Camp Half-Blood with a line of triremes in the Sound, catapults mounted in the hills around the valley, and spots marked for traps, trenches, and ambush sites. "It's a wartime command center," he said. "The camp was attacked once, wasn't it?" 

"In the Titan War?" Piper asked. 

Nyssa shook her head. "No. Besides, that map looks really old. The date...Ria, what does that say? 

"1864..." I said immediately.

We all turned to Chiron. The centaur's tail swished fretfully. "This camp has been attacked many times," he admitted. "That map is from the last Civil War."

"Uh..." I spoke "You mean the American Civil War? That was, like, a hundred and fifty years ago?" 

"Yes and no," Chiron said. "The two conflicts—mortal and demigod—mirrored each other, as they usually do in Western history. Look at any civil war or revolution from the fall of Rome onward, and it marks a time when demigods also fought one another. But that Civil War was particularly horrible. For American mortals, it is still their bloodiest conflict of all time—worse than their casualties in the two World Wars. For demigods, it was equally devastating. Even back then, this valley was Camp Half-Blood. There was a horrible battle in these woods lasting for days, with terrible losses on both sides." 

"Both sides," Leo said. "You mean the camp split apart?" 

"No," Jason spoke up. "He means two different groups. Camp Half-Blood was one side in the war." 

Leo wasn't sure he wanted an answer, but he asked, "Who was the other?" 

Chiron glanced up at the tattered bunker 9 banner as if remembering the day it was raised. "The answer is dangerous," he warned. "It is something I swore upon the River Styx never to speak of. After the American Civil War, the gods were so horrified by the toll it took on their children, that they swore it would never happen again. The two groups were separated. The gods bent all their will, wove the Mist as tightly as they could, to make sure the enemies never remembered each other, never met on their quests, so that bloodshed could be avoided. This map is from the final dark days of 1864, the last time the two groups fought. We've had several close calls since then. The nineteen sixties were particularly dicey. But we've managed to avoid another civil war—at least so far. Just as Leo guessed, this bunker was a command center for the Hephaestus cabin. In the last century, it has been reopened a few times, usually as a hiding place in times of great unrest. But coming here is dangerous. It stirs old memories, awakens the old feuds. Even when the Titans threatened last year, I did not think it worth the risk to use this place." 

Suddenly Leo's sense of triumph turned to guilt. "Hey, look, this place found me. It was meant to happen. It's a good thing." 

"Well this place helped you to repair Festus," I said, looking at Leo. "And we're already here, so I don't think that closing the bunker again is the best choice."

"I hope you're right," Chiron said. 

"We are!" Leo pulled an old drawing out of his pocket and spread it on the table for everyone to see. "There," he said proudly. "Aeolus returned that to me. I drew it when I was five. That's my destiny." 

Nyssa frowned. "Leo, it's a crayon drawing of a boat." 

"Look." Leo pointed at the largest schematic on the bulletin board—the blueprint showing a Greek trireme. Slowly, our eyes widened as we compared the two designs. The number of masts and oars, even the decorations on the shields and sails were exactly the same as on Leo's drawing. 

"That's impossible," Nyssa said. "That blueprint has to be a century-old at least." 

"'Prophecy—Unclear—Flight,'" Jake Mason read from the notes on the blueprint. "It's a diagram for a flying ship. Look, that's the landing gear. And weaponry—Holy Hephaestus: rotating ballista, mounted crossbows, Celestial bronze plating. That thing would be one spankin' hot war machine. Was it ever made?" 

"Not yet," Leo said. "Look at the masthead." There was no doubt—the figure at the front of the ship was the head of a dragon. A very particular dragon. 

"Festus?!" I asked while everyone turned and looked at the dragon's head sitting on the table. 

"He's meant to be our masthead," Leo said. "Our good luck charm, our eyes at sea. I'm supposed to build this ship. I'm gonna call it the Argo II. And guys, I'll need your help." 

"The Argo II." Piper smiled. "After Jason's ship." 

"Oh, oh, it will fly right?!" I jumped, excited, like I just killed two or three monsters. Everyone looked at me. "I mean, I still hate heights, but..." I looked at Leo. "Just think about it."

"Leo's right." Jason nodded. "That ship is just what we need for our journey." 

"What journey?" Nyssa said. "You just got back!" 

Piper ran her fingers over the old crayon drawing. "We've got to confront Porphyrion, the giant king. He said he would destroy the gods at their roots." 

"Indeed," Chiron said. "Much of Rachel's Great Prophecy is still a mystery to me, but one thing is clear. You three—Jason, Piper, and Leo—are among the Seven demigods who must take on that quest..."

"Uh, um, Chiron..." I said. "I uh-... Well, I'm going too."

"What...?"

"I feel that I need go do this." I looked up at Chiron will all my confidence. "Gaea confirmed that I'm not one of the seven. But I still need to go. Mess her card's, you know." 

"But the prophet says that '7 half bloods will answer the call'..." Nyssa said.

"And what if I'm not answering the call?" I asked. "I'm following the heroes as a healer with a battlefield experience." I raised my eyebrows, trying to convince Chiron. "What if they'll get hurt? Huh? Leo do you know what is have to be done of someone gets stabbed?"

"Um.."

"You see?!" I rushed torwards Leo, patting his head and rubbing his back. "They'll die without me. Right, Torch?" 

"Of course!" Leo wrapped his arm around my waist. "How we will survive without the sun of our lives?!" I kicked him on he side carefully and whispered; "Shush Drama Queen..."

Chiron sighed, "Well I think there's no way to convince you otherwise?" He looked at me and I shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "The four of you will be must to confront the giants in their homeland, where they are strongest. You must stop them before they can wake Gaea fully before they destroy Mount Olympus." 

"Um..." Nyssa shifted. "You don't mean Manhattan, do you?" 

"No," Leo said. "The original Mount Olympus. We have to sail to Greece." It took a few minutes for that settle in. Then the other Hephaestus campers started asking questions all at once.

"Heroes!" Chiron struck his hoof on the floor. "All the details are not clear yet, but Leo is correct. He will need your help to build the Argo II. It is perhaps the greatest project Cabin Nine has ever undertaken, even greater than the bronze dragon." 

"It'll take a year at least," Nyssa guessed. "Do we have that much time?" 

"You have six months at most," Chiron said. "You should sail by the summer solstice when the gods' power is strongest. Besides, we evidently cannot trust the wind gods, and the summer winds are the least powerful and easiest to navigate. You dare not sail any later, or you may be too late to stop the giants. You must avoid ground travel, using only air and sea, so this vehicle is perfect. Jason being the son of the sky god..." His voice trailed off, I figured Chiron was thinking about Percy. 

"I think he will be happy to use his power's on such a scale." I smiled at Chiron.

Jake Mason turned to Leo. "Well, one thing's for sure. You are now a senior counselor. This is the biggest honor the cabin has ever had. Anyone object?" Nobody did. All his cabinmates smiled at him, and I found myself too. "It's official, then," Jake said. "You're the man!" I pet Leo's arm while his hand was still wrapped around my waist.

"Well," he said at last, "If you guys elect me leader, you must be even crazier than I am. So let's build a spankin' hot war machine!" 

I was at a council once, when I was 13, after the battle of Labirinth. Will was injured and couldn't walk, so I was the one that took his place, because everyone else were busy at the infirmary. And now everything was exactly like I remembered; around a Ping-Pong table, with nachos and sodas. Somebody had brought Seymour the leopard head in from the living room and hung him on the wall. Every once in a while, a counselor would toss him a Sausage. 

I was here only as a "healer with a battlefield experience", and thankfully, Leo, Jason, and Piper were sitting next to me — it was their first meeting as senior counselors. Clarisse had her boots on the table, but nobody seemed to care. And nobody did, really. Clovis from Hypnos cabin was snoring in the corner while Butch was seeing how many pencils he could fit in Clovis's nostrils. And someone told me that Butch is a serious guy. Travis Stoll was holding a lighter under a Ping-Pong ball to see if it would burn. I was thankful that Connor wasn't here - otherwise they would be trying to see if the camp will burn under Leo's flames. My dear brother Will was absently wrapping and unwrapping an Ace bandage around his wrist, thinking about something. The counselor from Hecate cabin, Lou Ellen, was playing "got-your-nose" with Miranda Gardiner from Demeter, except that Lou Ellen really had magically disconnected Miranda's nose, and Miranda was trying to get it back. Rachel Dare, the oracle, sat next to Chiron at the head of the table. She was wearing her Clarion Academy school uniform dress, which seemed a bit odd, but she smiled at us. She even gave me a little wave. Annabeth didn't look so relaxed. She wore armor over her camp clothes, with her knife at her side and her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. As soon as I walked in, she gave me a look, that for a moment made me think she was possessed. 

"Let's come to order," Chiron said. "Lou Ellen, please give Miranda her nose back. Travis, if you'd kindly extinguish the flaming Ping-Pong ball, and Butch, I think twenty pencils is really too many for any human nostril. Thank you. Now, as you can see, Jason, Alex, Piper, and Leo have returned successfully... more or less. Some of you have heard parts of their story, but I will let them fill you in." 

Everyone looked at Jason. He cleared his throat and began the story. Piper, I and Leo chimed in from time to time, filling in the details he forgot. It only took a few minutes, but it seemed like longer with everyone watching. The silence was heavy, and for so many ADHD demigods to sit still listening for that long the story must have sounded pretty wild. Jason ended with Hera's visit to him right before the meeting. 

"So Hera was here," Annabeth said. "Talking to you." 

Jason nodded. "Look, I'm not saying I trust her—" 

"That's smart," Annabeth said. 

"And rational..." I mumbled.

"—but she isn't making this up about another group of demigods. That's where I came from." 

"Romans." Clarisse tossed Seymour a Sausage. "You expect us to believe there's another camp with demigods, but they follow the Roman forms of the gods. And we've never even heard of them." 

"The gods have kept the two groups apart, because every time they see each other, they try to kill each other." 

"I can respect that," Clarisse said. "Still, why haven't we ever run across each other on quests?" 

"Oh, yes," Chiron said sadly. "You have many times. It's always a tragedy, and always the gods do their best to wipe clean the memories of those involved. The rivalry goes all the way back to the Trojan War, Clarisse. The Greeks invaded Troy and burned it to the ground. The Trojan hero Aeneas escaped and eventually made his way to Italy, where he founded the race that would someday become Rome. The Romans grew more and more powerful, worshipping the same gods but under different names, and with slightly different personalities." 

"More warlike," Jason said. "More united. More about expansion, conquest, and discipline." 

"Yuck," Travis put in. Several of the others looked equally uncomfortable, though Clarisse shrugged like it sounded okay to her. 

Annabeth twirled her knife on the table. "And the Romans hated the Greeks. They took revenge when they conquered the Greek isles and made them part of the Roman Empire." 

"Not exactly hated them," I said, remembering my history lessons at school.

Jason nodded. "The Romans admired Greek culture and were a little jealous. In return, the Greeks thought the Romans were barbarians, but they respected their military power. So during Roman times, demigods started to divide—either Greek or Roman." 

"And it's been that way ever since," Annabeth guessed. "But this is crazy. Chiron, where were the Romans during the Titan War? Didn't they want to help?" 

Chiron tugged at his beard. "They did help, Annabeth. While you and Percy were leading the battle to save Manhattan, who do think conquered Mount Othrys, the Titans' base in California?" 

"Hold on," Travis said. "You said Mount Othrys just crumbled when we beat Kronos." 

"No," Jason said. "It didn't just fall. We destroyed their palace. And I defeated the Titan Krios..." 

Annabeth's eyes were as stormy as a storm spirit. I could almost see her thoughts moving, putting the pieces together. "The Bay Area. We demigods were always told to stay away from it because Mount Othrys was there. But that wasn't the only reason, was it? The Roman camp—it's got to be somewhere near San Francisco. I bet it was put there to keep watch on the Titans' territory. Where is it?" 

Chiron shifted in his wheelchair. "I cannot say. Honestly, even I have never been trusted with that information. My counterpart, Lupa, is not exactly the sharing type. Jason's memories, too, have been burned away." 

"The camp's heavily veiled with magic," Jason said. "And heavily guarded. We could search for years and never find it." 

Rachel Dare laced her fingers. Of all the people in the room, only she didn't seem nervous about the conversation. "But you'll try, won't you? You'll build Leo's boat, the Argo II. And before you make for Greece, you'll sail for the Roman camp. You'll need their help to confront the giants." 

"Bad plan," Clarisse warned. "If those Romans see a warship coming, they'll assume we're attacking." 

"We can... Uh... send them a note; 'hello, we are Greeks, we will drop by for a visit and pick up a couple of your guys for a suicidal mission'

"You're probably right," Jason agreed. "But we have to try. I was sent here to learn about Camp Half-Blood, to try to convince you the two camps don't have to be enemies. A peace offering." 

"Hmm," Rachel said. "Because Hera is convinced we need both camps to win the war with the giants. Seven heroes of Olympus—some Greek, some Roman." 

Annabeth nodded. "Your Great Prophecy—what's the last line?" 

"And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death." 

"Gaea has opened the Doors of Death," Annabeth said. "She's letting out the worst villains of the Underworld to fight us. Medea, Midas—there'll be more, I'm sure. Maybe the line means that the Roman and Greek demigods will unite, and find the doors, and close them." 

"Or it could mean they fight each other at the doors of death," Clarisse pointed out. "It doesn't say we'll cooperate." 

There was silence as we let that unhappy thought sink in. "Yeah, you know how to reassure, Clar." I said, grinning.

"I'm going," Annabeth said. "Jason, when you get this ship built, let me go with you." 

"I was hoping you'd offer," Jason said. "You of all people —we'll need you." 

"Wait." Leo frowned. "I mean that's cool with me and all. But why Annabeth of all people?" 

"Hera said us coming here was an exchange of leaders," Jason said. "A way for the two camps to learn of each other's existence." 

"Yeah?" Leo said. "So?" 

"An exchange goes two ways," I said understanding what Jason meant. 

"When I get here, my memories were wiped." Jason said. "I didn't know who I was or where I belonged. Fortunately, you guys took me in and I found a new home. I know you're not our enemies. The Roman camp—they're not so friendly. You prove your worth quickly, or you don't survive. They may not be so nice to him, and if they learn where he comes from, he's going to be in serious trouble." 

"Him?" Leo said. "Who are you talking about?" 

"My boyfriend," Annabeth said grimly. "He disappeared around the same time Jason appeared. If Jason came to Camp Half-Blood—" 

"Exactly," Jason agreed. "Percy Jackson is at the other camp, and he probably doesn't even remember who he is." 

"I could have such an opportunity to tease him...!" I said quietly.

"Your family teasing isn't apply to Percy, I hope." Will said with a smirk.

"She use the family teasing on you guys?" Jason asked, looking at the son of Apollo.

"You experienced it, I see?"

"Oh guys, come on!" 

"Yeah, unfortunately."

"I was officially betrayed."


End file.
